OBJECTIVES To identify differences in the prevalence of smoking and second-hand smoke exposure between Spanish and immigrant pregnant women, as well as the factors associated with continued smoking during pregnancy. METHODS An epidemiologic cross-sectional study was carried out in women attended at delivery in Zaragoza (Spain). A smoking questionnaire was used to collect the following variabl...

OBJECTIVE To study the prevalence of, and discuss factors contributing to, household second-hand smoke exposure in six counties in China, providing scientific support for the need to establish tobacco control measures in these areas. METHODS A cross-sectional survey was performed. Investigators conducted face-to-face interviews using a standardised questionnaire to collect information on demo...

BACKGROUND Media content has been shown to influence public understandings of second-hand smoke. Since 2007 there has been legislation prohibiting smoking in all enclosed public places throughout the United Kingdom (UK). In the intervening period, interest has grown in considering other policy interventions to further reduce the harms of second-hand smoke exposure. This study offers the first i...

OBJECTIVES This paper aimed to explore the association between rurality and (1) household smoking status and (2) home second-hand smoke exposure, in households with children aged 0-14 years. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Households across Australia. PARTICIPANTS Households across the country were randomly selected to provide a nationally representative sample. Respondents were per...

The atherosclerotic process begins when vascular endothelial cells undergo pro-inflammatory changes such as aberrant activation to dysfunctional phenotypes and apoptosis, leading to loss of vascular integrity. Our laboratory has demonstrated that exposure of mice to second hand smoke triggers an increase in expression of metalloproteinase-9. Further, metalloproteinase-9 released by second hand ...