[Factors associated with attitudes toward tobacco control policy in public places among adults in three counties of China].

OBJECTIVE

vestigate the attitudes of urban and rural community members toward total banning on smoking in public places and to explore the factors associated with these attitudes, in three counties/cities in China.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in three counties/cities in 2004, including Xin' an county of Henan province, Anyi county of Jiangxi province, and Mianzhu city of Sichuan province. A total of 5642 residents at age of 18-69 years old were interviewed face-to-face with a uniform questionnaire by locally-trained interviewers, through a random three-stage stratified sampling in each county. Factors were assumed to be associated with attitudes, using chi-square test in univariate analysis and non-conditional logistic regression model in multivariate analysis.

RESULTS

The prevalence of current smoking among respondents was 44.3%. 80.7% (1379/1709) of the current smokers reported smoking often or sometimes in public places. Only 9.6% (479/4983) of the respondents reported that their indoor workplaces had totally banned on smoking. 43.5% of the respondents supported a total smoking ban strategy in pubic venues. The results of multivariate logistic regression model showed that eight factors were significantly associated with support for the total smoking ban in public places included region, residency, age, gender, education, smoking status, awareness about passive smoking hazards, and hearing of any message on tobacco control through media differences of rates regarding the factors as: residents in urban to rural areas (OR = 1.29), elderly to youngsters (30-49 vs. 18-29, OR = 1.46; 50-69 vs. 18-29, OR = 1.71), female to male (OR = 1.27), high-educated to less-educated ones, quitters to current smokers (OR = 1.90), nonsmokers to current smokers (OR = 2.01). Those who know messages on health hazards of passive smoking (OR = 2.26), or heard of message on tobacco control through media (OR = 1.43).

CONCLUSION

Results from our study revealed that a thorough smoke-free policy in public places should be developed and implemented in these three counties/cities.