AUTHOR=Kulkarni Shweta Vishwas , Xangsayarath Phonepadith , Douangvichith Daovieng , Siengsounthone Latsamy , Phandouangsy Khatthanaphone , Tran Ly Thi-Hai , Le Phuc Hong , Bui Thanh Cong 

TITLE=Secondhand Smoke Exposure in Lao People’s Democratic Republic: Results From the 2015 National Adult Tobacco Survey

JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health

VOLUME=66

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2021.1604436

DOI=10.3389/ijph.2021.1604436

ISSN=1661-8564

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objectives:</bold> Second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure causes &gt;600,000 deaths annually worldwide, however, information regarding SHS exposure in Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PRD) is limited; we report SHS exposure prevalence at home, inside workplaces, and indoor public spaces in Lao PDR.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> Data were from the 2015 Lao National Adult Tobacco Survey, a nationally representative sample of 7,562 participants aged ≥15 years recruited through a stratified 2-stage cluster sampling approach.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> 88.3% (83.9% of non-smokers) reported SHS exposure at home and 63.0% (54.0% of non-smokers) at workplaces. Among non-smokers, women had greater exposure at home than men (86.6 vs. 77.0%). Lower education levels were associated with exposure at home or the workplace. 99.2% reported SHS exposure at any public place; specifically for restaurants/food stores 57.7%, government offices 56.2%, public transport 31.6%, and health care facilities 11.7%.</p><p><bold>Conclusion:</bold> SHS exposure at home and workplace in Lao PDR is among the highest in South-East Asia. Comprehensive smoke-free policies at government-owned workplaces and facilities, stricter enforcement of these smoke-free policies, and strategies to encourage smoke-free environments at homes and in public places are urgently needed.</p>