Social deprivation and secondhand smoke exposure among urban male residents: A nationwide study in China

Yixin Yang1,2, Xiaozhao Y. Yang3, Tingzhong Yang4, Wenjiong He1,2, Sihui Peng5, Ian R. Rockett6,7

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION Social deprivation is a known determinant of health and related

behaviors. Many studies have linked socioeconomic factors to secondhand

smoke (SHS) exposure. However, no studies have examined the relationship

between social deprivation and SHS exposure. This study examined whether

contextual social deprivation – variously based on living in a house without a car,

that was overcrowded, or had an unemployed member (s) – had an independent

association with SHS exposure at both individual and regional levels among

Chinese residents.

METHODS A cross-sectional multistage sampling design was utilized to interview

subjects from 6 selected cities in China. A standardized questionnaire selected

sociodemographic characteristics, contextual social deprivation and SHS exposure.

Multilevel logistic regression models were used to assess the association between

social deprivation and SHS exposure.

RESULTS A total of 5782 valid questionnaires were collected in this study. Among

2930 non-smokers, the SHS exposure prevalence was 21.9% (95% CI: 19.5–

24.30). Multilevel logistic regression showed a negative association between

household income, regional GDP, and SHS exposure, respectively, and positive

associations between contextual social deprivation and SHS exposure.

CONCLUSIONS Findings support the central proposition that contextual social

deprivation must be factored into SHS exposure messages. Our research

underscores the importance of reducing health inequality in controlling SHS

exposure.

CORRESPONDENCE TO

Tingzhong Yang. Center for Tobacco Control Research,Zhejiang University School of

Medicine, Yuhangtang Road,Hangzhou, 310058, China.

E-mail: Tingzhongyang@zju.edu.cn