National Journal of Community Medicine · Published 2026-06-01 · DOI 10.55489/njcm.170620266521
Kaarunya A, Abinaya P, Sathya Priya T, Anantharaman VV
Background: Tobacco-related environmental exposure remains a major public health concern in India. This study assessed second-hand smoke exposure and thirdhand smoke awareness among adults in urban Kattankulathur, Tamil Nadu, India. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 230 adults using multistage random sampling. Data were collected using questionnaires adapted from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey and Beliefs About Thirdhand Smoke scale. Multivariable logistic regression identified predictors of exposure and awareness. Results: Overall, 65.2% participants reported second-hand smoke exposure during the previous seven days, particularly in outdoor enclosed public spaces and friends’ or relatives’ homes. Among never smokers, 52.4% experienced involuntary exposure. Current smoking and cohabitation with smokers were independently associated with exposure. Although awareness regarding harmful effects of second-hand smoke was high, detailed understanding of thirdhand smoke persistence and indirect exposure pathways remained limited. Never smokers and individuals not living with smokers demonstrated significantly higher awareness. Conclusion: Second-hand smoke exposure remains highly prevalent despite tobacco-control measures, while important knowledge gaps regarding residual tobacco hazards persist. Strengthened smoke-free policy enforcement, promotion of smoke-free homes, and targeted community education are essential to reduce environmental tobacco exposure. Focused behavioural interventions targeting smoker households may improve awareness and reduce involuntary exposure among vulnerable nonsmokers.
Abstract from DOAJ. Public domain (CC0 1.0).
Read the article at the publisher →
A, K., P, A., T, S., et al. (2026). Prevalence of Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Thirdhand Smoke Awareness among Adults in Urban Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu, India: A Community-Based Cross-Sectional Study. National Journal of Community Medicine. https://doi.org/10.55489/njcm.170620266521