Factors associated with second-hand smoke awareness in Malaysia

Background: The proportion of people exposed to second-hand smoke increases dramatically with a sharp increase in the prevalence of smoking. It is expected that awareness of the effect of second-hand smoke plays an important role in curbing smoking. Objectives: The objective of this study is to examine factors affecting awareness of second-hand smoke in Malaysia. Methods: Nationally representative data, covering a large sample size (4153 respondents) and collected based on multistage sampling, are used. Multiple logistic regression is employed to analyse the effects of demographic and lifestyle variables on the likelihood of being aware of second-hand smoke. Results: Results show that older people are less likely to be aware of second-hand smoke than youngsters and that less-educated individuals are less likely to be aware of second-hand smoke than well-educated individuals. Significant relationships are found between second-hand smoke awareness and wealth index, ethnicity and smoking behaviour. Conclusion: Demographic profiles should be considered when drawing up policies aimed at improving awareness of second-hand smoke among adults. The government needs to focus more on older people, wealthy individuals, less-educated individuals, Chinese individuals and smokers if a successful policy is to be implemented.