Sathirapanya Chutarat, Buathong Napakkawat, Vichitkunakorn Polathep, Sornsenee Phoomjai, Pipattanachat Vasin, Sathirapanya Pornchai
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand.
Research Center for Kids and Youth Development, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Thailand.
Tob Induc Dis. 2025 May 29;23. doi: 10.18332/tid/204397. eCollection 2025.
Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure is a significant cause of illness. This study aimed to explore the awareness of SHS-attributed illnesses and the legal control of the Tobacco Product Control (TPC) Act 2017 among the local people living in Meung district, a municipality of Songkhla Province, Thailand.
This quantitative and qualitative study was conducted in 3 marketplaces and 6 public bus terminals in a southern province of Thailand between November 2021 and September 2022. A total of 330 volunteers were enrolled for the quantitative analysis. Meanwhile, 13 local government officers (LGOs), 2 market visitors, and 5 public vehicle passengers were interviewed for qualitative analysis to evaluate applicability of the law in this province. We collected the participants' general demographics, prevalence of secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, knowledge about SHS-attributed diseases, and awareness of the law. Chi-squared test was used to assess the associations between demographics and knowledge of SHS-attributed diseases and awareness of the legal restrictions regarding SHS exposure (p<0.05). Thematic analysis for evaluating applicability of the law was conducted from the interviews.
Tobacco smell was experienced more frequently than witnessing smokers in marketplaces (49.8% vs 30.0%) and on public vehicles (45.5% vs 20.7%). The mean ± SD scores of knowledge regarding the law were low (marketplace, 4.09 ± 1.61; bus, 4.07 ± 1.69), while that of SHS-attributed health harms were moderate (marketplace, 6.31 ± 2.14; bus, 6.30 ± 1.64). Age, education level, and religion had significant associations with knowledge about SHS-attributed diseases (p=0.001, <0.001, <0.001, respectively), while age and education level were significantly associated with awareness of the law (p<0.001). We found weaknesses in the collaboration of LGOs. Inadequate resources and a high volume of routine workload were the attributed barriers.
Enhancing knowledge about SHS-attributed illnesses, awareness of the SHS control law, and strengthening public engagement are crucial for SHS exposure control. The collaboration between the local people and LGOs for effective SHS control is advocated.
接触二手烟是疾病的一个重要成因。本研究旨在探究泰国宋卡府直辖县孟区当地居民对二手烟所致疾病的认知以及对2017年《烟草制品控制法案》（TPC法案）的法律管控情况。
2021年11月至2022年9月期间，在泰国南部一个省份的3个市场和6个公共巴士终点站开展了这项定量与定性研究。共有330名志愿者参与定量分析。同时，对13名地方政府官员、2名市场访客和5名公共交通工具乘客进行了定性分析访谈，以评估该法律在本省的适用性。我们收集了参与者的一般人口统计学信息、二手烟暴露患病率、对二手烟所致疾病的了解情况以及对该法律的认知。采用卡方检验评估人口统计学与二手烟所致疾病知识以及二手烟暴露法律限制认知之间的关联（p<0.05）。通过访谈对评估法律适用性进行主题分析。
在市场（49.8%对30.0%）和公共交通工具上（45.5%对20.7%），闻到烟草味的情况比目睹吸烟者更为频繁。关于该法律的知识平均得分±标准差较低（市场为4.09±1.61；巴士为4.07±1.69），而二手烟所致健康危害的得分中等（市场为6.31±2.14；巴士为6.30±1.64）。年龄、教育程度和宗教与二手烟所致疾病的知识有显著关联（分别为p=0.001、<0.001、<0.001），而年龄和教育程度与法律认知有显著关联（p<0.001）。我们发现地方政府官员之间的协作存在不足。资源不足和日常工作量大是归因障碍。
提高对二手烟所致疾病的认识、对二手烟控制法律的认知以及加强公众参与对于控制二手烟暴露至关重要。提倡当地居民与地方政府官员之间开展协作以有效控制二手烟。
