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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Piyali Roy, BDS, MPH student¹, Sujan Thyagaraj, MBBS, MPH student¹, Tamara Wall, BS, MS student¹, Martha Cropper, MS, PhD student¹, Tess Ford, PhD², and Pallabi Roy, BA, MA³. (1) Department of Health Education and Recreation, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, College of Education, Pulliam Hall , Clock Tower, Room # 307, Carbondale, IL 62901, 618-4572777, dr_piyaliroy@yahoo.com, (2) Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Center for Rural Health and Social Service Development, Office of economic and regional development, Pleasant Hill Road, Carbonale, IL 62901, (3) University of Calcutta, College Street, Kolkata, India

The US Environment Protection Agency estimates that 53,000 nonsmoking Americans die every year due to preventable exposure to second hand smoke. Methods and Purpose - A sample of 366 people (49% Female, 51% Male) were randomly chosen from Southern Illinois region (collected mainly in Jackson County and Perry County) and surveys were administered in Student Centers and various public places in the townships of Carbondale and DuQuoin. The instrument had nineteen questions including seven questions on demographics and twelve questions to estimate the general population's knowledge, attitude, behavior of the risk of second hand smoke exposure, the ‘Clean Indoor Air Ordinance' and ‘Tobacco Avoidance' in restaurants and bars in Illinois. Survey response data was analyzed with SPSS 13.0 software. Results and Discussion- Majority of participants were in agreement of implementing the clean indoor air policy in restaurants (74% of sample) and bars (54% of sample). 57.3% of people felt it would make no difference, in their habit of eating out, if smoking were not permitted in the restaurants. 70% of participants believed that there are scientific evidences supporting that exposure to second hand smoke causes lung cancer, asthma, heart disease, and emphysema. Significant difference between males and females with regard to their current smoking status (males>females; p=.002) and a significant correlation between the current smoking status (whether currently smoker or non smoker) and the avoidance of going to places (restaurants) which allow smoking, due to exposure to second hand smoke were also found.

Learning Objectives: