Purpose: As more research has been distributed through the media about the negative health impact of exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS), the public's support for smoke-free policies has increased. The purpose of this study was to evaluate trends in knowledge and attitudes about SHS exposure among Indiana adults by smoking status.
Methods: Study data were from four cross-sectional studies previously conducted by the Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Agency using the Adult Tobacco Survey protocol between the years 2002 and 2007.
Results: Eighteen questions were identified as addressing SHS, 16 of which were available for more than 1 year and were evaluated for time trends. Significant overall trends toward increased awareness of SHS's health effects and support for smoking bans were noted in 10 of the 16 questions analyzed. No significant overall change, positive or negative, occurred in the remaining six questions. When responses were analyzed by smoking status, never smokers and former smokers consistently exhibited higher rates of anti-SHS sentiments and knowledge of SHS than did current smokers.
Conclusions: In general, the trends are encouraging to public health efforts to raise awareness about SHS, but there remains much room for improvement, particularly among current smokers.