Exposure to Tobacco Smoking in Vehicles, Indoor, and Outdoor Settings in Germany: Prevalence and Associated Factors

Abstract

Little is known on whether secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in vehicles, indoor, and outdoor settings is similarly patterned in terms of different socio-epidemiological indicators in Germany. This study aims to estimate the current national-level prevalence and associated socio-epidemiological indicators of SHS exposure in vehicles, indoor, and outdoor settings in the German population, using current data from a representative household survey. We used cross-sectional data (N = 3928 respondents aged 14–99 years) from two waves of the DEBRA survey (German Study on Tobacco Use), conducted between January and March 2020. The reported prevalence of SHS exposure during the last seven days was 19% in vehicles, 25% in indoor settings, and 43% in outdoor settings. We found that younger age and current smoking were consistently associated with higher SHS exposure. Furthermore, people with low education were more likely to be exposed to SHS in vehicles and indoor settings than people with high education. This study found that the prevalence of SHS exposure in vehicles, indoor, and outdoor settings is a relevant feature of everyday life in Germany, especially for younger people and people with lower education, leading to potentially persistent socioeconomic and tobacco-attributable inequalities in morbidity and mortality.