Parental smoking habits and children's exposure to household secondhand smoke in Klang Valley, Malaysia
Abstract
Secondhand tobacco smoke presents a significant threat to children’s health, particularly when caregivers smoke within the family home. Indoor smoking, especially by parents, has detrimental effects on children’s health. Addressing the escalating issue of indoor smoking among adults in Malaysia is vital, as it serves as a critical risk factor. There is a notable lack of research on how parental smoking affects children’s health, particularly regarding their addiction to nicotine and their parents’ attitudes. Furthermore, prior studies seldom focus on the influence of parental demographics in elucidating the effects of indoor smoking practices on children’s exposure to secondhand smoke. This study investigates the association between parental smoking practices and children’s exposure to secondhand smoke. It encompasses various determinants of parents’ indoor smoking behaviors, including their nicotine dependency, knowledge, attitudes, and smoking practices. Additionally, it explores how demographic factors may moderate the relationship between parental indoor smoking and the health risks children face from cigarette smoke exposure. Thus, this study proposes a health risk framework based on children’s reported health characteristics and levels of exposure. A cross-sectional study design was employed to collect data from 378 parents from four higher education institutions in the Klang Valley. The partial least squares technique and multiple linear regression were used to test…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cross-sectional, done in people. Its evidence level is 4 of 5 (Low · observational). Observational designs can show an association but not prove cause.
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