Exposição das crianças ao fumo ambiental do tabaco em casa e no carro
- Precioso, José
- Araújo, Ana Carolina
- Samorinha, Catarina
- Machado, José
- Becoña Iglesias, Elisardo
- Ravara, Sofia B.
- Vitória, Paulo
- Alves Rosas, Manuel
- Bonito, Jorge
- Antunes, Henedina
ISSN: 1647-662X
Ano de publicación: 2012
Número: 42
Páxinas: 7-25
Tipo: Artigo
Outras publicacións en: Millenium
Resumo
Introduction: Children's exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) is associated with serious problems to their health, such as increased risk of acute lower airway infections, greater likelihood of recurrent respiratory infections, increased risk of ear infections induction and exacerbation of asthma and pulmonary emphysema. Exposure to ETS is especially serious for children with asthma. This exposure occurs in most cases when parents and / or other cohabitant smoke at home and / or in the car. Objectives: 1) to determine the prevalence of children exposed to ETS, at home and in the car; 2) to determine the prevalence of asthmatic children exposed to ETS at home; 3) to characterize the smoking behavior of parents and / or other cohabitant at home and in the car; 4) to identify socio-demographic factors associated with tobacco use at home. Methods: An observational cross-sectional study was developed: administration of a self-report questionnaire to 513 students from the 4th grade (8-11 years old) in the municipality of Braga during the academic year of 2010/2011. Results: Exposure to ETS at home was found in 27.5% of children; exposure to ETS in the car was found in 25.1% of children who use the car. Among the smoking parents, 69.8% of mothers and 56.8% of fathers smoke at home. Smoking at home is more common among parents with low socioeconomic status (p < 0,01). Conclusion: Exposure of children to the ETS is high. Fathers and mothers usually smoke at home and often in the car. These data justify an effective preventive intervention, which should constitute a priority for health education in schools and for health professionals.