[Assessment of the strength of tobacco control on creating smoke-free hospitals using principal components analysis]

To explore the relationship between the strength of tobacco control and the effectiveness of creating smoke-free hospital, and summarize the main factors that affect the program of creating smoke-free hospitals.

A total of 210 hospitals from 7 provinces/municipalities directly under the central government were enrolled in this study using stratified random sampling method. Principle component analysis and regression analysis were conducted to analyze the strength of tobacco control and the effectiveness of creating smoke-free hospitals.

Two principal components were extracted in the strength of tobacco control index, which respectively reflected the tobacco control policies and efforts, and the willingness and leadership of hospital managers regarding tobacco control. The regression analysis indicated that only the first principal component was significantly correlated with the progression in creating smoke-free hospital (P<0.001), i.e. hospitals with higher scores on the first principal component had better achievements in smoke-free environment creation.

Tobacco control policies and efforts are critical in creating smoke-free hospitals. The principal component analysis provides a comprehensive and objective tool for evaluating the creation of smoke-free hospitals.