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Globally over 7 million deaths are attributed to direct tobacco consumption whereas about 1.2 million people die due to the exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS). The health complications and mortalities caused by SHS exposure in Pakistan are also very prominent as it causes more than 33 thousand annual deaths. In this pilot study, we wanted to evaluate the exposure to secondhand smoke at work and at home, and its association with the prevalence of diseases through a survey based cross-sectional study. An online questionnaire was designed and developed using Google Forms and a short link was distributed using social media channels (i.e., WhatsApp groups and Facebook). Respondents were young adults from all cities of Pakistan who had access to internet and were digitally literate. Exposure to secondhand smoke at home, during childhood (from 0-18 year of age), adulthood exposure (after 18 years of age), and exposure at work was evaluated. The data was analyzed using Microsoft Excel and R.A total of 438 respondents participated in this survey with representation of male (54%) and female (46%) belonging to major cities in Pakistan, including Peshawar (38%), Islamabad (10.4%), Lahore (7.2%), and Karachi (6%). Overall, 75% of the study cohort were exposed to SHS, with the highest exposure noticed during adulthood with 70.3% of people being exposed to SHS after 18 years of age. Amongst those who were exposed daily at home, 63% had chronic bronchitis while 60% had cardiac diseases as self-reported health issues. Those exposed to SHS during childhood for 2 or more than 2 hours per week, 80% had self-reported chronic bronchitis in the survey. During adulthood, universities dominated as a location that offered highest exposure to SHS for 2 or more than 2 hours/week. One-year exposure history at workplace revealed that of those who were exposed to SHS at work ‘several times a day’, 60% had high blood pressure, 55% had asthma, while 50% had chronic bronchitis. At home ‘the father’ was identified as the main source of secondhand smoke and during adulthood universities are identified as place of highest exposure. At workplaces although the percentage of people exposed to secondhand smoke is lesser than those reported in previous studies but the correlation with medical complications was revealing. Overall throat irritation, gastric issues, and eye irritations were highly reported medical conditions amongst exposed individuals. Citation Format: Shagufta Rehmat, Faisal F. Khan. A pilot study to survey the exposure to secondhand smoke at home and at the workplace in Pakistan [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 6263. |
