Questionnaire-based second-hand smoke assessment in adults

Area of Science:

• Environmental Health
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Numerous studies have evaluated second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure assessment methods.
• A universally accepted gold standard for SHS exposure assessment is still lacking.
• This review focuses on questionnaire-based epidemiological studies in adults.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and analyze methods used for assessing SHS exposure in adults.
• To identify common practices and variations in SHS exposure assessment in epidemiological research.
• To highlight the need for standardized assessment tools.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted on PubMed for studies published between January 2000 and May 2011.
• Studies were screened for inclusion based on language and publication type.
• Data extracted included target population, sample size, validation status of SHS questions, study design, and specific question phrasing, settings, and indicators used.

Main Results:

• Out of 977 retrieved articles, 335 met the inclusion criteria, with 75.8% focused on SHS exposure assessment.
• Only 17.9% of studies utilized validated questions for SHS exposure assessment.
• Most studies assessed exposure in one or two settings (predominantly home and workplace), with 68.9% including an intensity measure.

Conclusions:

• Significant variability exists in the indicators and items used to assess SHS exposure.
• The low utilization of validated questions poses a challenge for consistent and accurate SHS exposure measurement.
• Standardized assessment items across diverse settings are crucial for reliable SHS exposure evaluation.