Study on Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) in Schoolchildren, Asthmatic Children and Infants

• Main Authors: Yun-Han Yuan, 袁韻涵
• Other Authors: 詹長權
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2006
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/41382578567269513219

碩士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 職業醫學與工業衛生研究所 === 94 === This thesis studied environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) in schoolchildren, asthmatic children and infants. There are three parts in this thesis. Part 1 was the evaluation of ETS exposure and the effectiveness of a school-based intervention program for changing children’s knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) toward ETS. ETS exposure and KAP toward ETS before and after an intervention program were evaluated by questionnaire among schoolchildren. The results showed that home is the major setting for students’ ETS exposure with their fathers as the main sources. Schoolchildren have higher ETS exposure over summer vacation and weekends than weekdays. Knowledge improved through the school-based intervention program, but not attitude and practice against ETS exposure. Part 2 was the evaluation of the effectiveness of a camp-based intervention program for changing asthmatic children’s KAP toward ETS. KAP toward ETS before and after a one day camp-based intervention program were evaluated by questionnaire among asthmatic children. The one day camp-based intervention program in our study improved ETS knowledge of asthmatic children, but had no effects on their attitude and action against ETS exposure. In part 3 we investigated the exposure of pregnant women and infants to ETS and the relation between maternal ETS exposure and birth weight. Information of ETS exposure was investigated by questionnaire among mothers with infants from birth to one year old. High prevalence of ETS exposure was observed among pregnant women and infants. There was no association between ETS exposure during pregnancy and birth weight. In this thesis, we found serious ETS exposure in schoolchildren aged 11 to 12 years, pregnant women and infants from birth to one year old. The school- or camp-based intervention program could increase ETS knowledge of schoolchildren and asthmatic children but couldn’t improve their attitude and practice against ETS exposure. There was no association between maternal ETS exposure and birth weight. However, because we used qualitative analysis for maternal ETS exposure, quantitative analysis of ETS exposure is recommended in future studies of the relation between maternal ETS exposure and birth weight. This thesis’s findings are useful for future studies of ETS exposure and intervention in children and infants.