The impact of smoking in the home on the health outcomes of the non-smoker occupants in the UK: A systematic review
| Author(s)
Jeanette Kusel, Beth Timm and Ian Lockhart
| | Presenter(s) |
Dr Ian Lockhart Evidence Based Medicine Manager, Pfizer Ltd, Walton Oaks | Abstract Background: Smoking in the home remains a key source of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) for non-smokers, particularly since the UK public smoking ban in 2007. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted to identify all UK evidence on the impact of ETS exposure in the home on health and behavioural outcomes in non-smoker occupants. MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library (to June 2011) were searched to identify all relevant UK empirical studies from 2000 to the present.
The review presents a qualitative synthesis of the evidence. Results: Exposure to ETS in UK homes was associated with serious negative health effects in non-smokers, including significantly increased risk of meningococcal carriage (p<0.001) and disease (p=0.05) in children and adolescents, cognitive impairment (p<0.001) in adults, higher rate of medically attended accidents in children with smoking mothers (p<0.01), and for non-smoking women, a significant decrease in infant birth weight (p=0.007) and increased risk of premature birth (p=0.04). Living in a smoking household significantly increased the risk of future regular smoking in children (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Current smokers should be educated on the consequences of non-smokers exposure to domestic ETS, and be provided with adequate behavioural and pharmacological support to assist with smoking cessation. Smoking in the home remains a key source of exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) for non-smokers, particularly since the UK public smoking ban in 2007. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted to identify all UK evidence on the impact of ETS exposure in the home on health and behavioural outcomes in non-smoker occupants. MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library (to June 2011) were searched to identify all relevant UK empirical studies from 2000 to the present. The review presents a qualitative synthesis of the evidence. Results: Exposure to ETS in UK homes was associated with serious negative health effects in non-smokers, including significantly increased risk of meningococcal carriage (p<0.001) and disease (p=0.05) in children and adolescents, cognitive impairment (p<0.001) in adults, higher rate of medically attended accidents in children with smoking mothers (p<0.01), and for non-smoking women, a significant decrease in infant birth weight (p=0.007) and increased risk of premature birth (p=0.04). Living in a smoking household significantly increased the risk of future regular smoking in children (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Current smokers should be educated on the consequences of non-smokers exposure to domestic ETS, and be provided with adequate behavioural and pharmacological support to assist with smoking cessation.
| Presenter biography Dr Ian Lockhart has 10 years of experience conducting and managing systematic reviews in the education and health sectors. Currently working for Pfizer Limited, Ian has previously worked for IMS Health in the health economics and outcomes research field, and for the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) where he was a member of the technical team at the National Collaborating Centre for Chronic Conditions (NCC-CC).
| Source of funding: Study sponsored by Pfizer Ltd.
| Declaration of interest: Ian Lockhart is an employee of Pfizer Ltd. Jeanette Kusel and Beth Timm received funding from Pfizer Ltd. to conduct the review.
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