136th APHA Annual Meeting (October 25-29, 2008): Could workplace non-smoking policy reduce smoking behaviors? A multi-level analysis of a workplace smoking surveillance study

Monday, October 27, 2008

Fu-Li Chen, PhD , Department of Public Health, Fu Jen Catholic University, Sinjhuang,Taipei county, Taiwan

Peter Y. Chen, PhD , Department of Psychology, Safety Management Applied Research Team, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO

Chih-Cheng Hsu, PhD , Division of Health Policy Reserach, National Health Research Institute, Miaoli County, Taiwan

Yun-Rou Chen , Department of Public Health, Fu Jen Catholic University, Sinjhuang,Taipei county, Taiwan

Yi -Tien Lin , Department of Public Health, Fu Jen Catholic University, Sinjhuang,Taipei county, Taiwan

Introduction:To reduce smoking behaviors at work through non-smoking policy has been proposed over years. The study examined its effect based on a surveillance study conducted in Tao-Yuan county, Taiwan.

Methods: 7260 workers, selected by a stratified cluster random sampling method, participated in a telephone survey, which included the following variables: gender, anti-smoking knowledge and attitude, education, and martial status (level 1), occupations (classified based on ISCO-88) and non-smoking policy rate within occupations (level 2), and smoking behavior (outcome).

Results:Overall, prevalence of workers smoking was estimated to be 23.2%, and the smoking rate of skilled agricultural and fishery workers and craft workers are above 38%. Results showed that males smoke more than females, workers with low education level or weak anti-smoking attitude smoked more than their correspondent counterparts. Furthermore, smoking behavior was significantly different among jobs. Finally, the non-smoking policy is significantly associated with the decrease of smoking behavior after controlling the other variables.

Conclusion:Although smoking behaviors are distributed differently among jobs, the present finding suggests that organizations can be an effective change agent to reduce smoking behaviors and to promote healthy behaviors at work.

Learning Objectives:
1.List non-smoking policy and smoking behavior among occupations 2.Apply multi-level analysis accessing the non-smoking policy effects among occupations 3.Construct a smoke free environment in the workplace

Keywords: Tobacco Policy, Worksite

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the chair and associate professor of the Department of Public Health Fu-Jen Catholic University, Taiwan
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

See more of: Tobacco Control Developments in Mainland China and Taiwan
See more of: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs

175681 Could workplace non-smoking policy reduce smoking behaviors? A multi-level analysis of a workplace smoking surveillance study