• Mosiur Rahman, Sheikh Mohammad Mahmudul Hasan, Syed Emdadul Haque, Nuruzzaman Haque, Mosfequr Rahman, Golam Mostofa, Sarwar Zahan, Durrul Huda, Saber Al- Sobaihi, Kapil Ahmed, and Howlader Mohammad Miraz Mahmud.
• MSc, MHSc, PhD. Associate Professor, Department of Population Science and Human Resource Development, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi, Bangladesh, and JSPS Postdoc Fellow, Department of Global Health Entrepreneurship, Division of Public Health, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
• Sao Paulo Med J. 2019 May 8; 137 (1): 132413-24.

BackgroundThere is a paucity of research on knowledge/attitudes regarding the dangers of exposure to secondhand smoking (SHS) among women. The relationship between exposure to SHS, socioeconomic status (SES) and knowledge/attitudes regarding the risks of SHS has often been ignored. We therefore aimed to examine (1) whether SES and exposure to SHS were independently associated with knowledge/attitudes regarding the risks of SHS; and (2) whether women with low SES and exposure to SHS were uniquely disadvantaged in terms of deficient knowledge and more dismissive attitudes towards the risks of SHS.Design And SettingCross-sectional study in the Rajshahi district, Bangladesh.MethodsA total of 541 women were interviewed. Knowledge of and attitudes towards the risks of SHS were the outcomes of interest.ResultsA majority of the respondents were exposed to SHS at home (49.0%). Only 20.1% had higher levels of knowledge, and only 37.3% had non-dismissive attitudes towards the risks of SHS. Participants in the low SES group and those exposed to SHS had lower odds of higher knowledge and their attitudes towards the risks of SHS were more dismissive. Regarding deficient levels of knowledge and scores indicating more dismissive attitudes, women in the low SES group and who were exposed to SHS were not uniquely disadvantaged.ConclusionsExposure to SHS and low SES were independently associated with deficient knowledge and scores indicating more dismissive attitudes. Regarding knowledge/attitudes, the negative effect of exposure to SHS extended across all socioeconomic backgrounds and was not limited to women in either the low or the high SES group.

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