An exploratory study of knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs related to tobacco use and secondhand smoke among women in Aleta Wondo, Ethiopia

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Anne Berit Petersen, Loma Linda University; Lisa Thompson, Emory University; Gezahegn Bekele Dadi, Hawassa University; Alemu Tolcha, Hawassa University; Janine K. Cataldo, University of California San Francisco
• Language: English
• Date: 2018-09-24
• Publisher: BMC (part of Springer Nature)
• Publication Version: Final Published Version
• Copyright Statement: © 2018 The Author(s).
• License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Final Published Version (URL): http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12905-018-0640-y
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: BMC Women's Health
• ISSN: 1472-6874
• Volume: 18
• Issue: 1
• Start Page: 154
• End Page: 154
• Grant/Funding Information: The article contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the funders.; The funders played no role in the design, in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.; This work was supported by grants from Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing (Gamma Alpha and Alpha Eta chapters) and the National Cancer Institute (RA CA113710).
• Keywords: POLICIES; Secondhand smoke exposure; Obstetrics & Gynecology; PREGNANT-WOMEN; Knowledge; Women; COUNTRIES; Religion; Ethiopia; Life Sciences & Biomedicine; CIGARETTE-SMOKING; GENDER; Khat use; Public, Environmental & Occupational Health; Tobacco messaging; EXPOSURE; ATTENDANCE; Science & Technology; EPIDEMIC; AFRICA; FRAMEWORK; Tobacco use; Attitudes and beliefs
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynecology; Health Sciences, Public Health

Abstract

Background: By 2030, the Sub-Saharan African region is projected to be the epicenter of the tobacco epidemic. While smoking prevalence is currently low among women (< 2%), the prevalence among men (7.7% overall and up to 27% depending on region) makes exposure to secondhand smoke a pressing concern for women and children. To prevent the uptake of smoking among women and address tobacco-related risks, including secondhand smoke exposure, a greater understanding of women's related perceptions is needed. The purpose of this study was to explore Ethiopian women's knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs related to tobacco use and secondhand smoke exposure, and the potential influence of contextual factors including; khat use, exposure to pro- and anti-tobacco messaging, and religious affiliation. Methods: A cross-sectional study using a systematic household sampling technique and an adapted interviewer-administered survey was conducted in Southern Ethiopia. The survey was administered to 353 women, 18-55 years of age, in Aleta Wondo town and surrounding districts between August-October 2014 (95.2% cooperation rate). Results: General awareness of harm associated with personal tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke was high (> 94%); however, specific knowledge of associated health-risks was limited. More than 96% perceived female tobacco use as socially unacceptable. At the same time, more than 70% were able to name potential benefits of using tobacco for both personal consumption and non-personal use. Respondents reported greater experimentation with khat versus tobacco and 73% reported that their religion significantly influenced their tobacco-related attitudes. Overall, there were higher reports of exposure to anti-tobacco (70%) versus pro-tobacco (49%) messaging, in the last 30 days. Conclusions: The high level of awareness of health risks associated with tobacco use and SHS exposure and the high exposure to anti-tobacco messaging are community-level strengths that can proactively be built on to prevent the projected disease burden associated with tobacco. Findings have implications for the development of contextualized gender-specific tobacco control interventions, particularly in relation to the promotion of smoke-free homes.