Abstract

ABSTRACT Background: Passive smoking is defined as involuntary exposure to environmental tobacco smoke1. Passive smoking, environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) or second hand smoke (SHS) all carry the same meaning. The problem of passive smoking in pregnancy remains underappreciated by both healthcare workers and the public. It is important to detect SHS among pregnant ladies and educate the women about it during the antenatal care visit which may lead to better outcome on future babies and it is found that there are limited researches in Saudi Arabia to assess SHS among pregnant women. Aims &
Objective: To assess the prevalence, associated factors and knowledge of ETS exposure among Saudi pregnant women in Makkah.
Materials and Methods: Cross sectional study was carried out among primary health care centers (PHC), Makkah region, in Saudi Arabia in 2012. A sample of 400 participants was selected randomly. The tool of the study was self-administered questionnaire.
Results: The prevalence of passive smoking among studied population was 45.8% and the associated significant factors were smoker husbands, low education, low income, resident in governmental houses and lack of knowledge about passive smoking hazards. Conclusion: This study revealed that prevalence of SHS among pregnant women was relatively in the average as compared to reported rates in other non-Saudi population. This study raised the importance of education about passive smoking hazards and their implication on occurrence of SHS among pregnant ladies. Both pregnant women and their husbands are in need for educational programs regarding passive smoking hazards.