Second Hand Tobacco Smoke Exposure among Adults in an Urbanized Village in Delhi

Abstract

Abstract Background: India contributes to the maximum of the world’s health burdens attributable to tobacco use. Exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) is also associated with adverse health effects, causing 1.2 million deaths worldwide each year. In Delhi, 28.0% had SHS exposure at public places. About one-fifth experienced exposure to SHS at workplace. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of SHS exposure among adults in an urbanized village in Delhi. Materials and Method: It was a community-based cross-sectional house-to-house survey conducted between January 2020 and June 2021 in Aliganj, an urbanized village in Delhi. A total of 490 residents ≥15 years were included using simple random sampling. The interview was conducted by the primary author using the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS). Each subject enrolled in the study was explicitly informed of the purpose of the study by the investigator and provided written informed consent before enrolment. Data were checked for errors, entered in Microsoft Excel, and analyzed in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Results: Of the 490 participants, 14.7% were exposed to SHS in their house and 16.1% were exposed to SHS outside the house in the last 1 month. The majority (85.3%) believed secondhand smoking is harmful, 6.5% disagreed, and the rest were unaware. Conclusion: Though most participants knew that exposure to SHS can cause serious illness, further awareness sessions need to be conducted to improve knowledge and understanding and reduce exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke in homes. Strict adherence to no-smoking policies should be implemented as per law to reduce exposure to SHS in public areas.