Secondhand Smoke Exposure at Home and Associated Factors in Rural China

This study estimates secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure at home among nonsmoking children (age 0-18) and adults (age ≥19) in rural China, and examines associated socio-demographic factors. Data from the 2008 China National Rural Household Survey were analyzed. A person is defined as being exposed to SHS if they are nonsmokers and live with at least one current smoker. Socio-demographic characteristics include age, gender, marital status, education, income and region. For children, marital status, education and income are defined by the status of the head of household. Differences in SHS exposure were assessed by Chi-square test. The prevalence rates of SHS exposure at home for nonsmokers (N=5,444) are 68.0% and 59.3% respectively for children and adults. For both children and adults, SHS exposure rates were significantly (p<0.05) higher for females than for males (70.7% vs. 65.4% for children, and 67.7% vs. 41.8% for adults). Low education and income groups, and those from the Northwest region have higher SHS exposure. Children living in households with a married head have higher exposure rates than those in households headed by a single person (71.2% vs. 62.4%), while single adults are more likely to be exposed to SHS than married adults (67.7% vs. 58.5%). Our findings of substantial SHS exposure at home in rural China, coupled with the fact that 54.32% of China's population lives in rural areas, highlight the importance of implementing interventions to reduce SHS exposure among this population.