Prevalence and Associated Factors of Passive Smoking among Women in Jilin Province, China: A Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence and associated socio-demographic factors of passive smoking among women in Jilin Province, China. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted in 2012, using a self-reported questionnaire interview. A representative sample of 9788 non-smoking women aged 18-79 years was collected in Jilin Province of China by a multistage stratified random cluster sampling design. Descriptive data analysis and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of prevalence/frequency were conducted. Multivariable logistic regressions were used to examine the associated socio-demographic factors of passive smoking. RESULTS The overall prevalence of passive smoking among non-smoking women in Jilin Province was 60.6% (95% CI: 59.3-61.8), 58.3% (95% CI: 56.7-59.9) from urban areas, and 63.4% (95% CI: 61.6-65.3) from rural areas. Twenty-six percent (95% CI: 24.9-27.1) of the non-smoking women reported daily passive smoking, of which 42.9% (95% CI: 41.6-44.1) reported passive smoking at home, and 5.1% (95% CI: 4.5-5.7) reported passive smoking in restaurants. Women in urban areas were less likely to be passive smokers than those in rural ones (OR-Odds Ratio: 0.825, 95% CI: 0.729-0.935), elderly women were less likely to be passive smokers than younger women (55-64 years OR: 0.481, 95% CI: 0.342-0.674; 65-79 years OR: 0.351, 95% CI: 0.241-0.511). Seperated/divorced women were less likely to be passive smokers (OR: 0.701, 95% CI: 0.500-0.982), and widowed women (OR: 0.564, 95%CI: 0.440-0.722), as the married were the reference group. Retired women second-hand smoked due to environmental causes significantly less than manual workers (OR: 0.810, 95% CI: 0.708-0.928). Women with a monthly family income of more than 5000 RMB were less likely to be passive smokers than those with an income less than 500 RMB (OR: 0.615, 95% CI: 0.432-0.876). CONCLUSIONS The prevalence of passive smoking is lower than that reported in 2010 Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) China, but passive smoking is still prevalent and has been an acute public health problem among non-smoking women in Jilin Province, China. Our findings suggest an urgent need for tobacco control and the efforts of public health should be both comprehensive and focus on high-risk populations in Jilin Province, China.