Third-hand smoke perception and awareness among medical students: a survey study

Third-hand smoke (THS) is tobacco smoke impurities that adhere to indoor materials such as clothing, dust, and surfaces and are released into the air. It is a major public health concern that, if unaddressed, could cause future harm. The aim of this study was to assess medical students' knowledge of THS and to increase awareness. In March and April 2023, students enrolled in the medical programs at the School of Medicine for the 2022-2023 academic year were contacted using an online Google survey method and asked to complete the survey questions. The survey included questions on participants' sociodemographic characteristics and the Beliefs about Third-Hand Smoke Scale (BATHS-T). The median age of the 351 students who voluntarily participated in the study was 20.0 (IQR = 2.0) years, 55.3% were female and 16% were smokers. The mean score of the answers given by the participants to the scale questions asking their level of knowledge about third-hand smoke was 35.3 ± 5.9. The least known question was "cigarette smoke particles can stay in a room for weeks". The most frequently answered question was "breathing the air in a room where people smoked yesterday can damage the health of babies and children". Scale scores were significantly higher for participants who did not have smokers living in their home, who did not allow smoking in their home, and who reported having information about passive smoking. Medical students had sufficient knowledge and awareness of third-hand smoke. Third-hand smoke should be included in training to increase knowledge and awareness of medical students as part of preventive medicine practice.