Awareness and perception of third hand smoke among medical students in Pakistan

Abstract

Background: Third Hand Smoking (THS) is defined as the persistent residue of smoke that adheres to dust and surfaces in indoor environments and is re-emitted into air, posing a risk to public health. The objective of this study was to determine the baseline level of understanding of medical students regarding third hand smoke and to compare the responses of smokers versus non-smokers.

Study Design and Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were administered to undergraduate medical students in Pakistan. In the survey, various questions were asked relating to the students’ knowledge and perception of THS and how badly they think THS affects the health of adults and children. The data obtained was analyzed on SPSS v23.

Results: Out of 380 participants, 189 (49.7%) were male and 191 (50.3%) were female and their average age was 20.16 ± 1.68 years. 86 (22.6%) were smokers while 294 (77.4%) were not. 103 (27.5%) participants reported someone in their house was a smoker. When asked about their awareness of third hand smoking, 171 (45.7%) answered in agreement while 203 (54.3%) reported they were unaware of what it might be. Responses of smokers versus nonsmokers, regarding awareness of third hand smoking, were compared and non-smokers displayed a greater level of awareness regarding all the questions.

Conclusion: There is need to raise awareness and knowledge of THS among people, especially medical students, and more extensive studies need to be carried out to find the full extent of the risks THS poses in humans, so that further efforts can be made to minimize the damage caused by smoking to public health.

Keywords: third hand smoking, medicals students, public health, awareness, perception