Association Between Graphic Health Warning Labels on Cigarette Packs and Smoking Cessation Attempts in Korean Adolescent Smokers: A Cross-Sectional Study

Association between anti-smoking campaign types and smoking cessation attempts

Objective

This study explored the association between anti-smoking campaign types and smoking cessation attempts.

Methods

This study included 4,594 individuals (3,292 male and 1,302 female) from the Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey (KYRBWS) in 2018 and 2020. The methods of anti-smoking promotion were divided into online, offline, online and offline, and none. Attempts to quit smoking were classified as yes or no. Multiple logistic regression was performed to examine the association between antismoking campaign type and smoking cessation attempts.

Results

Those who saw anti-smoking advertisements both online and offline were found to have tried to quit smoking more than those who did not. (Online & offline: male, odds ratio [OR] 1.36; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.08-1.71; female, OR, 1.75; 95% CI 1.21-2.54) In a subgroup analysis of the independent variables into which smoking cessation advertisements were subdivided, males were found to have the highest OR for smoking cessation attempts when they encountered advertisements in newspapers. (Newspaper: male, OR, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.00-5.02) Females had the highest OR for smoking cessation attempts when accessed via the Internet. (Internet: female, OR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.07-3.50).

Conclusion

This study showed that there is a correlation between smoking cessation advertisements and adolescents' smoking cessation attempts. The possibility of smoking cessation attempts is high when encountering smoking cessation advertisements both online and offline. Although offline smoking cessation advertisements have a great effect on adolescents' smoking cessation attempts, it can be confirmed that the frequency of exposure for offline advertisements is less than that for online advertisements.

China's Smoke-free Policies in Public Place and the Smoking Cessation Status of Smokers

INTRODUCTION

Smoking remains a major health risk factor and China is the world's largest consumer of tobacco. Smoke-free policies in public places are a powerful weapon in tobacco control. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the association between smoke-free policies in public places and smoking cessation among smokers in China from 2012 to 2020.

METHODS

In this study, we assessed the impact of smoke-free public places policies on smoking cessation situation among smokers aged 16 years and older. We do this by conducting a difference-in-differences analysis using data from the China Family Panel Study (CFPS) 2012-2020.

FINDINGS

By 2020, about 60.2% of the cities were covered by partial smoke-free policies and about 38.5% by comprehensive smoke-free policies. Based on the results of the study, we found that the medium-term effect model (Model 2, 2012:2016; Model 3, 2012:2018) of the impact of partial smoke-free policies on smoking cessation was not statistically significant using 2012 as the study baseline; the short-term effect model (Model 1; 2012:2014; P< .01) and the long-term effect model (Model 4; 2012:2020; P< .05) were statistically significant; the effect of a comprehensive smoke-free policy on smoking cessation (Model 5; 2012:2020; P<.05) was statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

China's existing comprehensive smoke-free policies have had a modest impact on smoking cessation among the smoking population, and a strong, comprehensive national smoke-free law is urgently needed to achieve greater public health outcomes.

IMPLICATIONS

Smoke-free policies are an important intervention to influence smoking behavior. This study demonstrates that comprehensive smoke-free policies in public places in China can effectively influence smoking behavior and show long-term trends in smoke-free behavior, while also reflecting the need to promote comprehensive smoke-free policies. This study provides a basis for the implementation of comprehensive smokefree policies into law and also provides a basis for policy makers.

Associations between environmental tobacco smoke exposure and oral health symptoms in adolescents

Background

Oral health condition in adolescence impacts the oral well-being throughout life. This study aimed to determine the association between environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure and oral health in adolescents, using nationally representative data.

Methods

Using data from the 2020 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey, we assessed self-reported data on ETS exposure and oral health symptoms in 37,591 non-smoking adolescents. The dependent variables were self-reported oral health symptoms of adolescents (tooth fracture, dental pain, and gum bleeding). ETS exposure was the primary independent variable. Chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to examine these relationships.

Results

ETS exposure was positively associated with oral symptoms compared to no-ETS exposure in adolescents [boys, odds ratio (OR) 1.56, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.46–1.66; girls, OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.41–1.60]; individuals with good oral health habits such as frequent tooth brushing [boys, three times or more a day, OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.24–1.53] and less soda consumption [girls, less than once a day, OR 1.73, 95% CI 1.29–2.33] had a weaker association. ETS exposure was positively associated with dental pain [boys, OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.45–1.66; girls, OR 1.50, 95% CI 1.41–1.60] and gum bleeding [boys, OR 1.43, 95% CI 1.29–1.58; girls, OR 1.32, 95% CI 1.21–1.44]; however, tooth fracture was significantly associated only in girls [OR 1.28, 95% CI 1.13–1.45].

Conclusions

ETS in various environments is negatively associated with oral health in adolescents. This association could vary depending on health habits. Sophisticated policies to protect South Korean adolescents from ETS can be developed from these findings.