Predictors of women's attitudes toward world health organization framework convention on tobacco control policies in urban China.
BACKGROUND
In 2005 China ratified the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and committed to implement tobacco control legislation and policies. Wide variation in smoking prevalence between men and women in China and the high exposure of women to secondhand smoke suggest that each component of the FCTC should be analyzed from a gender perspective. This study describes women's attitudes toward and predictors of support for four key FCTC measures in China.


METHODS
Cross-sectional data were collected from 1,408 women in two urban cities on demographics, smoking behavior, and attitudes toward key tobacco control measures.


RESULTS
Seventy percent of the study women (n = 1,408) were exposed to secondhand smoke at home, work, or other public places. Support for the four FCTC measures of interest was as follows: 92.5% supported banning smoking in public places, 79.2% supported increasing the cigarette tax, 92% supported stronger health warnings on cigarette packages, and 87.1% favored banning tobacco advertising. The predictors for supporting each of these measures included socioeconomic, attitudinal, and behavioral factors.


CONCLUSIONS
Urban Chinese women appear to support implementation of key WHO FCTC measures. Predictors of women's attitudes toward the key FCTC measures varied. The formulation process resulting from the tobacco control policy should consider these women-specific predictors in order to facilitate successful implementation of FCTC.
Abdullah
Abu Saleh
AS
Department of International Health, Boston University School of Public Health , Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Yang
Tingzhong
T
Beard
Jennifer
J
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002681:China; D005260:Female; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014505:Urban Population; D014944:World Health Organization; D055815:Young Adult
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution