[Survey on passive smoking in children in Agadir]

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of the study was to assess children's exposure to tobacco smoke at home, at school and in public places, to study its risks and to educate parents about the dangers of passive smoking.

Methods: This is a survey conducted in October 2007 among children enrolled in pre-school and primary school in the city of Agadir, Morocco. The data was gathered by a written questionnaire completed by parents at home.

Results: The survey covered 776 children. The response rate to the questionnaires was 88%. The father was a smoker in 28.9% of cases, against 0.7% for the mother. The prevalence of childhood exposure to tobacco was 34.1% at home, 36.4% in public places and 30.1% in schools. Concerning pregnant women, passive smoking and/or active was associated with a significantly increased risk of respiratory distress in newborn babies and hospitalisations in the neonatology department. In infant and child, involuntary inhalation of tobacco smoke involved an increased risk of sudden infant death syndrome and recurrent respiratory symptoms. However, its noxious effects were not found in the case of child asthma and tumour.

Conclusion: Passive smoking is a real public health problem and smoking is a dangerous but also a preventable source of pollution.