The associated factors of smoking cessation intention among husbands in gestational households: A census-based...

Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure poses health risks to pregnant women, with spousal smoking identified as the primary source of SHS exposure among Chinese pregnant women. This study examines smoking cessation intention and its associated factors among smoking husbands during their wives' pregnancy.

This was a cross-sectional study in Shanghai from April 2021 to December 2024, enrolling all registered pregnant women and their cohabiting smoking husbands in Jinshan District, Shanghai (n=1754 couples). Separate structured questionnaires were administered to collect demographic data and smoking-related behaviors. Double data entry was performed using EpiData 3.1, with SPSS 26.0 employed for statistical analyses.

Among the participants, 47.4% of the smoking husbands expressed a willingness to quit smoking. The results of the univariate analysis indicate that a husband's willingness to quit smoking is associated with several factors, including his age, health status, and the surrounding environment (p<0.05). Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that husbands' willingness to quit smoking was significantly associated with several factors. Specifically, compared to husbands younger than 25 years old, those older than 35 years were less willing to quit smoking (adjusted odds ratio, AOR=0.52; 95% CI: 0.38-0.70). Additionally, husbands in poor health were less likely to quit than those in good health (AOR=0.65; 95% CI: 0.50-0.93). Furthermore, husbands with higher levels of education were less likely to quit than those with lower levels (AOR=0.62; 95% CI: 0.46-0.82). When comparing smoking habits, husbands who smoked ≥11 cigarettes per day were less willing to quit than those who smoked ≤5 cigarettes daily (AOR=0.56; 95% CI: 0.42-0.75).

Smoking cessation intentions among husbands are influenced by multidimensional interactions of individual characteristics (age, health status), smoking behavior patterns (intensity, duration), and family and social environments (smoking bans, peer influence). Future research should elucidate the mechanisms underlying the interactions among these variables.