• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.1235-1242
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• 2016

Background: A school-based smoke free home (SFH) program is useful in empowering the mother and child to reduce secondhand smoke exposure but the effects of pretesting on knowledge and attitude has been largely ignored. We aimed to test whether such a program can be effective in Southern Thailand with an additional assessment of the net effect of the pretest. Materials and Methods: A Solomon four-group design was used. Twelve rural primary schools were assigned to one of the four conditions (each with 3 schools): intervention with and without a pretest, control with and without the same pretest. The intervention was performed in the classroom and home over a period of 1 month. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and 3 months after the intervention on whether the home was smoke free and related knowledge and attitude. Results: The intervention could lead to a smoke-free home without statistical significance. Attitude, knowledge and self-confidence on creating a smoke-free home, and self-confidence in avoidance of secondhand smoke exposure and persuading smokers to not smoke in their home were significantly improved. No pretest effect was observed. Conclusions: Gain in attitude, knowledge and self-confidence among family members from the brief school-based education should be enhanced by other measures.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.sup1
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• pp.65-70
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• 2016

Background: In 2013, legislation in Vietnam regulated smoking in public areas. Included was a ban on indoor smoking at universities. Objective: Since awareness and attitude are moderators of the effectiveness of smoke-free policy, ou aim was to assess changes in students' knowledge and attitude tosecond hand smoke (SHS) and awareness and support of smoke-free legislation at four Vietnamese universities, one year after legislative changes. Methods: A two-phase cross sectional study of undergraduate students using self-administered questionnaires (based on the Global Adult Tobacco Survey and the Thrasher survey) was conducted at the introduction of the legislation and one year thereafter. Results: One-year post legislation there were significant increases in knowledge of smoke-free legislation and awareness of universities as smoke-free environments. There was a significant increase in knowledge of harmful effects of SHS on diseases such as examples in the heart and lung, including lung cancer, and miscarriage. Students expressed strong support of smoke-free environments in universities, hospitals, schools, workplaces, public transport, libraries, cinemas and theatres; support was also increased post legislation. Changes were seen in attitude to SHS, and rights of non-smokers and smokers. Conclusions: Positive changes have occurred in knowledge and attitude toward smoke-free environments and SHS in universities since enactment of Vietnamese tobacco control legislation.

• Health Policy and Management
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.1-20
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of health promotion policies about antismoking, and the relationship between policy status, enforcement of smoking restrictions and perceptions of smoking behaviour among teachers. A representative sample of 173 teachers$.$school inspectors from 150 elementary$.$middle$.$high schools in Gangwon-do was surveyed during Gangwon-do Office of Education's antismoking and temperance training course in 2002 (response rate 60.7%). One staff member from each school was also analyzed regarding school antismoking polices for students and teachers in several locations within and outside the school building. The results showed that 118 elementary$.$middle$.$high schools (78.7%) had an antismoking policy and more schools had a written policy on student antismoking than on teacher antismoking. Most schools (92.4%) in the sample banned smoking by students, but 52 schools (44.1%) allowed smoking by teachers in restricted areas. However, teachers reported seeing smoking sometimes in the toilets (42.7%) or the playground (40.0%) among students and sometimes in the staff room (31.3%) or about every day on school premises (52.7%) among teachers. Irrespective of the type of policy or restrictions on smoking, the association between having a ban on student/teacher smoking and teachers' perceptions of student/teacher smoking in school was not significant. In conclusion, we suggest that most schools must have explicitly an antismoking policy on both students & teachers and enforce consistently a ban in promoting a healthy school environment(smoke-free schools).

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.12
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• pp.4815-4821
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• 2014

Background: This study aimed to examine the relationship between respiratory health of Malaysian adolescents with secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure and smoke-free legislation (SFL) implementation. Materials and Methods: A total of 898 students from 21 schools across comprehensive- and partial-SFL states were recruited. SHS exposures and respiratory symptoms were assessed via questionnaire. Prenatal and postnatal SHS exposure information was obtained from parental-completed questionnaire. Results: The prevalence of respiratory symptoms was: 11.9% ever wheeze, 5.6% current wheeze, 22.3% exercise-induced wheeze, 12.4% nocturnal cough, and 13.1% self-reported asthma. SHS exposure was most frequently reported in restaurants. Hierarchical logistic regression indicates living in a comprehensive-SFL state was not associated with a lower risk of reporting asthma symptoms. SHS exposure in public transport was linked to increased risk for wheeze (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 16.6; 95%confidence interval (CI), 2.69-101.7) and current wheezing (AOR 24.6; 95%CI, 3.53-171.8). Conclusions: Adolescents continue to be exposed to SHS in a range of public venues in both comprehensive- and partial-SFL states. Respiratory symptoms are common among those reporting SHS exposure on public transportation. Non-compliance with SFL appears to be frequent in many venues across Malaysia and enforcement should be given priority in order to reduce exposure.

• Journal of Preventive Medicine and Public Health
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• v.50 no.1
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• pp.60-65
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• 2017

Objectives: We examined the prevalence of tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke among middle-school students in Korea using the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) in 2013. Methods: The GYTS in Korea was conducted between July and August 2013 by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Data were collected using a self-administered anonymous questionnaire from a nationally representative sample of middle-school students aged 13-15 years in sampled classrooms. Results: The GYTS in Korea was completed by 4235 students aged 13-15 years in 43 middle schools. Approximately one in five of the students (17.8%) reported that they had tried cigarettes in the past, while 5.2% reported currently being cigarette smokers. Current cigarette smoking was higher in boys (7.5%) than in girls (2.6%). Of the students, 29.7% had been exposed to secondhand smoke at home, 47.4% inside enclosed public places, and 53.9% in outdoor public places. Of the current cigarette smokers, 25.7% bought their cigarettes from a store despite a law prohibiting this. Additionally, 58.0% of students noticed point-of-sale tobacco advertisements or promotions, 66.8% of current cigarette smokers wanted to stop smoking, and 70.9% of students had been taught about the dangers of tobacco use in school. Conclusions: These findings provide an opportunity to develop, implement, and evaluate a comprehensive tobacco control policy. The results suggest that youth have relatively easy access to cigarettes and are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke in public places, as well as to point-of-sale tobacco advertisements and promotions. Strict enforcement of the ban on tobacco sales to youth, expanding smoke-free areas, and advertising bans are needed to reduce tobacco use among youth.