Methods are introduced and illustrated for synthesizing evidence from case-control and cohort studies and controlled trials, accounting for differences among the studies in their design, length of follow-up, and quality. The methods, based on hierarchical but nonexchangeable Bayesian models, are illustrated in a synthesis of disparate information about the health effects of passive exposure to ...

OBJECTIVE To describe legal theories that non-smoking residents of multiple occupancy buildings may employ when affected by environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) from neighbouring units. DESIGN Legal research was conducted in several US states. Research was performed among statutes and regulations. State health regulations were examined as well as common law claims of nuisance, warranties of habi...

OBJECTIVES We sought to determine the effects of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and childhood cigarette smoking on asthma symptoms among middle school children in North Carolina. METHODS During 1999-2000, information was collected from a survey completed by the children. Outcomes of asthma symptom reporting were regressed on tobacco smoke exposures. RESULTS Children who curre...

OBJECTIVES To assess indoor secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in restaurants and bars via PM(2.5) level measurements in five cities in China. METHODS The study was conducted from July to September in 2007 in Beijing, Xi'an, Wuhan, Kunming and Guiyang. PM(2.5) concentrations were measured in 404 restaurants and bars using portable aerosol monitors. The occupant density and the active smoker dens...

Few studies have employed a qualitative approach to better understand how both smokers and non-smokers experience and make sense of no-smoking restrictions in their daily lives. We describe qualitative research involving an examination of self-reported interpersonal interactions between smokers and non-smokers in public places regarding exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS). Five focus ...

In 2004 the New South Wales (NSW) Government announced that smoking in the indoor areas of licensed premises would be phased out by July 2007.2 The reason for this decision was to protect workers and patrons in these venues from the detrimental health effects of prolonged exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. At the same time, NSW Health conducted a study to monitor community attitudes to th...

BACKGROUND Results of the Global Adult Tobacco Survey in Kerala, India found that 42 % of adults were exposed to second hand smoke (SHS) inside the home. Formative research carried out in rural Kerala suggests that exposure may be much higher. Numerous studies have called for research and intervention on SHS exposure among women and children as an important component of maternal and child healt...

Concentrating on exposure in workplaces where smoking occurs, we examined environmental tobacco smoke (ETS)-related concentration data from the 16-City Study. This study involved a large population of nonsmokers, used personal monitors, and encompassed a wide selection of ETS-related constituents. This first article in a series of three describes the 16-City Study, considers the impact of demog...

OBJECTIVES To examine (1) whether dust and surfaces in households of smokers are contaminated with environmental tobacco smoke (ETS); (2) whether smoking parents can protect their infants by smoking outside and away from the infant; and (3) whether contaminated dust, surfaces, and air contribute to ETS exposure in infants. DESIGN Quasi-experiment comparing three types of households with infan...

BACKGROUND The UK government proposed introducing partial smokefree legislation for England with exemptions for pubs and bars that do not prepare and serve food. We set out to test the hypothesis that pubs from more deprived areas and non food-serving pubs have higher levels of particulate air pollution. METHODS We conducted a cross sectional study in four mainly urban areas of the North West...