Analysis of secondhand smoke exposure and harm awareness among non-smoking individuals aged 15-44 years in Jilin Province: A cross-sectional study.

Introduction: In recent years, alongside the Healthy China Initiative, extensive nationwide efforts have been undertaken to enhance the health literacy of the population. Health knowledge dissemination has emerged as a key approach within these efforts. This study focused on non-smokers aged 15-44 years in Jilin Province, China. It analyzed their patterns of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and their level of awareness regarding its risks.

Methods: The study selected non-smoking permanent residents aged 15-44 years from the 2020 Jilin Province Adult Tobacco Survey database as its subjects. Following the requirements of the China Adult Tobacco Survey Protocol, the project employed a multistage stratified cluster random sampling method. This involved: selecting 10 surveillance sites from all of the province's districts or counties; choosing 3 sub-districts/townships within each surveillance site; selecting 2 neighborhood or village committees within each sub-district or township; and randomly sampling 120 households from each neighborhood or village committee. This resulted in a total sample of 7200 households province-wide. One resident aged ≥15 years was randomly selected from each household for a face-to-face in-home interview. The present analysis utilized eligible questionnaires from individuals within the target age group 15-44 years.

Results: The prevalence of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure among surveyed non-smoking residents in Jilin Province was 59.16% (95% CI: 52.87-65.17). Awareness rates of specific SHS health risks were as follows: 76.16% (95% CI: 59.77-87.30) knew SHS causes lung cancer in adults; 61.95% (95% CI: 52.26-70.77) knew SHS causes lung diseases in children; and 49.21% (95% CI: 34.99- 63.56) knew SHS causes heart disease in adults. However, only 42.26% (95% CI: 32.60-52.56) were aware that SHS causes all three conditions (heart disease in adults, lung diseases in children, and lung cancer in adults). SHS exposure rates varied significantly by location: restaurants had the highest exposure rate (50.85%) , homes (37.72%), and public transport (5.01%).

Conclusions: SHS exposure prevalence among residents aged 15-44 years in Jilin Province remained high, while comprehensive awareness of its associated health risks was relatively low. A discrepancy existed between possessing knowledge about SHS harms and translating that knowledge into protective behaviors or reduced exposure. Intervention efforts should focus on priority venues, intensify the dissemination of core knowledge on tobacco hazards, implement targeted health promotion activities for key populations, and foster supportive smoke-free environments.