The burden from second hand smoke exposure is still significant in European Union countries, reports an international team of European researchers in the journal Preventive Medicine. They conclude that more could be done to raise awareness of the health risks associated with second hand smoke exposure at home, writes MedicalBrief.
More than 20 universities, university hospitals, institutes and agencies collaborated in the research, including in Spain, Italy, Belgium, Greece, Ireland and the United Kingdom.
The corresponding author is Giulia Carreras of the Oncologic network, prevention and research institute (ISPRO) in Florence in Italy, and the last author is Elena García Castillo of the Hospital Universitario La Princesa (IISP) in Spain.
The article in Preventive Medicine lists several highlights of the research. One is that smoke-free laws reduced second-hand smoke exposure in public places.
However, a large proportion of adults is still exposed to second hand smoke at home in European Union countries, and in 2017 in the EU, 526,000 disability adjusted life years were lost from second hand smoke at home.
The study found that the main burden was from chronic obstructive pulmonary and ischemic heart diseases. “Awareness of health risks from SHS exposure at home should be enhanced,” it says.
Study Details
Burden of disease from second-hand tobacco smoke exposure at home among adults from European Union countries in 2017: An analysis using a review of recent meta-analyses
Esteve Fernández, Yolanda Castellano, Marcela Fu, Montse Ballbè, Beladenta Amalia, Olena Tigova, Maria Josè López, Xavier Continente, Teresa Arechavala, Elisabet Henderson, Silvano Gallus, Alessandra Lugo, Xiaoqiu Liu, Elisa Borroni, Paolo Colombo, Sean Semple, Rachel O’Donnell, Ruaraidh Dobson, Luke Clancy, Sheila Keogan, Hannah Byrne, Panagiotis Behrakis, Anna Tzortzi, Constantine Vardavas, Vergina Konstantina Vyzikidou, Gerasimos Bakelas, George Mattiampa, Roberto Boffi, Ario Ruprecht Cinzia De Marco, Alessandro Borgini, Chiara Veronese, Martina Bertoldi, Andrea Tittarelli, Giuseppe Gorini, Giulia Carreras, Barbara Cortini, Simona Verdi, Alessio Lachi, Elisabetta Chellini, Ángel López Nicolás, Marta Trapero-Bertran, Daniel Celdrán Guerrero, Cornel RaduLoghin, Dominick Nguyen, Polina Starchenko, Joan B Soriano, Julio Ancochea, Tamara Alonso, María Teresa Pastor, MartaErro, AnaRoca, Patricia Pérez and Elena García Castillo
Published in Preventive Medicine, 31 December 2020
Abstract
Smoke-free legislation reduced second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure in public places, and indirectly promoted private smoke-free settings. Nevertheless, a large proportion of adults is still exposed to SHS at home.
The aim of this paper is to quantify the burden of disease due to home SHS exposure among adults in the 28-European Union (EU) countries for year 2017.
The burdens by gender from lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), breast cancer, ischemic heart disease (IHD), stroke, asthma and diabetes were estimated in an original research analysis using the comparative risk assessment method.
Relative risks of death/diseases by gender for adults exposed to SHS at home compared to not exposed ones were estimated updating existing meta-analyses.
Prevalence of home SHS exposure by gender was estimated using a multiple imputation procedure based on Eurobarometer surveys. Data on mortality and disability adjusted life years (DALYs) were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease, Injuries and Risk Factors Study.
In 2017, 526,000 DALYs (0.36% of total DALYs) and 24,000 deaths (0.46% of total deaths) were attributable to home SHS exposure in the 28-EU countries, mainly from COPD and IHD.
South-Eastern EU countries showed the highest burden, with proportion of DALYs/deaths attributable to SHS exposure on total higher than 0.50%/0.70%, whereas northern EU-countries showed the lowest burden, with proportions of DALYs/deaths lower than 0.25%/0.34%.
The burden from SHS exposure is still significant in EU countries. More could be done to raise awareness of the health risks associated with SHS exposure at home.
Institutions involved in the research
In Spain: University of Barcelona, Catalan Institute of Oncology, Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Public Health Agency of Barcelona, Polytechnic University of Cartagena, Hospital Universitario La Princesa, CIBER Epidemiologia y Salud Pública, IIB Sant Pau, Polytechnic University of Cartagena, Hospital Universitario La Princesa, Consortium for Biomedical Research in Respiratory Diseases, Catalan Institute of Oncology and the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute.
In Italy: Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Istituto DOXA, Worldwide Independent Network/Gallup International Association, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori, Istituto per lo Studio, la Prevenzione, e la Rete Oncologica, Oncologic network, prevention and research institute, and Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS.
Other countries: University of Stirling in the UK, the Tobacco Free Research Institute Ireland, Hellenic Cancer Society – George D Behrakis Research Lab in Greece and the European Network on Smoking and Tobacco Prevention in Belgium.
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[link url="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0091743520304436"]Preventive Medicine article: Burden of disease from second-hand tobacco smoke exposure at home among adults from European Union countries in 2017: an analysis using a review of recent meta-analyses[/link]
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