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Secondhand smoke (SHS) is a major indoor pollutant that causes serious health problems among all those exposed, especially pregnant women.1 Prevalence of exposure to SHS among pregnant women is high in China.2 In the 2010 Global Adult Tobacco Survey in China, 65.1% of non-smoking women of childbearing age were exposed to SHS at home and another 52.6% were exposed to SHS in the workplace.3 Globally, it was estimated that about one-third of adults (33% men and 35% women) are exposed to SHS,4 which is comparatively lower than the exposure level in Chinese women. This pattern of exposure to SHS among adults highlights the fact that many of the over 100 million annual pregnant women globally will be exposed to SHS, and will expose their unborn children to tobacco-induced harms.1 Therefore, public health implications of exposure to SHS during pregnancy by women and their babies are substantial3 and need urgent attention. This study examined the behavioural practices of pregnant Chinese women in avoiding exposure to SHS in indoor environments.
A cross-sectional survey, using a structured questionnaire, was conducted among pregnant women, recruited from 16 hospitals in 5 provinces of China, from June to August 2015. The study protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of Chongqing Medical …