Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Children and Health
Volume 12 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1370552
This article is part of the Research Topic World No Tobacco Day 2023 View all 7 articles

Secondhand Tobacco Smoke Exposure in Homes and Vehicles in Youth: Disparities Among Racial, and Sexual and Gender Minorities

Provisionally accepted
Rajesh Talluri Rajesh Talluri Sahil S. Shete Sahil S. Shete Surendra S. Shastri Surendra S. Shastri Sanjay Shete Sanjay Shete *
  • University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, United States

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: Secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) among youth is a serious public health concern, leading to an increased risk of conditions such as asthma and respiratory infections. However, there is little research on SHSe among vulnerable populations, such as racial and sexual minorities. Understanding the factors associated with youth SHSe in homes and vehicles is crucial to developing better protective policies. Methods: This study utilized 2020 data from the National Youth Tobacco Survey, a representative sample of middle- and high-school students in the US. The primary outcomes were youth SHSe at home and while riding in a vehicle. Multinomial regression models were used to assess factors associated with SHSe. Results: The data included 9,912 students enrolled in grades 6 through 12 in the United States who reported never using any form of tobacco. Non-Hispanic Black students living with someone who does not use any form of tobacco products were significantly more likely to experience moderate [OR = 2.1 (1.1-3.9), P = 0.03] and severe [OR = 5.1 (2.2-11.7), P < 0.001] secondhand smoke exposure (SHSe) in homes compared to their non-Hispanic White counterparts. Heterosexual female students had lower odds of reporting moderate SHSe in the home compared to heterosexual males [OR = 0.7 (0.6-0.99), P = 0.02], whereas bisexual females had two-fold increased odds of severe SHSe in homes [OR = 2.0 (1.2-3.4), P = 0.01]. Conclusions: Significant efforts are needed to develop targeted interventions to reduce SHSe in homes and vehicles, particularly in these vulnerable populations.

    Keywords: Secondhand tobacco smoke exposure, Racial Disparities, sexual minorities, adolescents, National Youth Tobacco Survey

    Received: 14 Jan 2024; Accepted: 12 Jul 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Talluri, Shete, Shastri and Shete. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Sanjay Shete, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, 77030, Texas, United States

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.