Household Exposure to Second-hand Smoke in Pakistan: Can Electronic Media Play a Role?

Abstract

Background: Passive smoking is associated with many diseases and plays an important role reduced quality of life and increase in mortality. The aims of the study were to investigate family members smoking frequency and their exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) inside the households, and to assess the role of electronic media in changing attitudes towards smoking inside the houses. 

Methods: The study is based on data from Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS), 2012-13, which is a countrywide survey of 12,943 households. The frequency of smoking inside the houses by the family members was retrieved and analysed with information on wealth index and access to mass media (radio and television) within the households. 

Results: The study showed that the family members smoked on daily basis inside their houses in more than one-third of households. The richest households, categorised according to economic indicators, had less daily exposure to SHS (27.3%) compared to the poorest households (40.1%). The family members in households that had access to radio had higher SHS exposure (37.7%) than the households with access to television (35.7%). This difference, however, was not statistically significant. Wealth index, radio and television all were associated with frequency of household members smoking inside the house. 

Conclusions: Smoking by family members in their households is an important public health problem in Pakistan, which has so far been ignored. Appropriate guidelines and law formulation, their implementation and behavioural change strategies by creating awareness about risks through powerful electronic media messages and community-based programmes can minimise exposure to SHS in households and at public places.