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APHA Scientific Session and Event Listing

Fu-Li Chen, PhD¹, Chih-Cheng Hsu, PhD², I.-Fan Tsai¹, Ling-Yen Pan², and Chi-Yung Chiang³. (1) Department of Public Health, Fu Jen Catholic University, 510 Chung Cheng Rd.,Hsin Chuang, Taipei Hsien, Taiwan, 886-2-29053431, ph1007@mails.fju.edu.tw, (2) Division of Health Policy Reserach, National Health Research Institute, No.35,Keyan Road,Zhunan Town, Miaoli County, Taiwan, (3) Division of Health Policy Research, National Health Research Institutes, No.35,Keyan Zhunan Town, Miaoli County, Taiwan

Background: Children secondhand smoking in families has been a critical issue in Taiwan. The study purpose is to investigate rejecting secondhand smoking behaviors among schoolchildren and the related factors. Methods: Surveys of 1585 students were conducted in grades 3 through 4 from 13 elementary schools in Tao-Yuan County by using stratified cluster sampling. Data were using statistics for Crosstabs and logistic regressions. Results: Overall, schoolchildren who exposed to the secondhand smoking in families were 51.2%, with a higher exposure rate in hilly country areas than in urban or rural areas. In logistic regression, both children's knowledge about the hazards of cigarette smoking and their attitudes to avoiding secondhand smoking exposure have been shown to be positively associated with children's rejection behaviors. In socio-demographic variables, boys were less likely than girls to reject secondhand smoking (OR=0.6; 95%CI=0.4~0.9); children living in urban areas were more likely to reject secondhand smoking than in hilly country areas (OR=1.8; 95%CI=1.1~3.2) or in rural areas (OR=1.7; 95%CI=0.9~2.9).In addition, schoolchildren who had never been punished by their parents were more likely to reject secondhand smoking in families than those who had occasionally been punished (OR=2.3;95%CI=1.4~4.0) or those who had often been punished (OR=1.9;95%CI=1.0~3.4). Conclusions: Findings are suggested that well-designed education materials should be developed and delivered to children in elementary schools. Moreover, the interaction between parents and children in the family, and also the inequity between urban and rural areas must be concerned in implementing a tobacco control policy.

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