Exposure to second hand smoke: a survey of pregnant women visiting tertiary care hospitals of Peshawar

Abstract

Introduction: Second hand smoke (SHS) is reported to cause 890,000 deaths annually worldwide. It is also a known cause of serious complications in pregnancy. The current study intends to fill in some of the knowledge gap for further research & effective public health interventions.

Objective: To estimate the magnitude of exposure to second hand smoke and assess awareness about it among pregnant women visiting four selected tertiary care hospitals of Peshawar.

Materials & Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at four tertiary hospitals of Peshawar from 1^st January to 1^st March 2018. Non-probability serial sample of 410 pregnant women was taken. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analysed for descriptive statistics using SPSS version 22.

Results: A total of 410 pregnant women were included. The mean age was 21 + 4 years; 149 (36.3%) of the total subjects were exposed to SHS, highest frequency (49%) being in age group 26-35 years. Exposure to SHS was highest (39%) among illiterate ladies; 92% of the subjects were exposed to SHS at home, the main source being their husbands (46%); 40.7% of the subjects were aware of the adverse effects of SHS on fetus, younger (p=0.01) & more educated women (p=0.001) being more likely to be aware.

Conclusions: Exposure of pregnant women to second hand smoke is a public health concern in Peshawar, being more likely among younger, less educated, unaware women, and housewives.