Tobacco use and impact of tobacco-free policy on university employees in an environment of high tobacco use and production.
OBJECTIVE
To assess occupational tobacco use and the impact of a tobacco-free policy in the Central Appalachia, an environment characterized by high tobacco use and production.


METHODS
This study was an Internet-based survey conducted on 2,318 university employees. Descriptive, chi-square, and logistic regression statistics were performed. Unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (AOR) with respective 95 % confidence intervals (CI) were reported.


RESULTS
The survey response rate was 50.8 %; of the respondents, 9.0 % were current smokers. Smoking prevalence among faculty, administrators/professionals, and clerical/support staff was 6.1, 8.1, and 13.1 %, respectively. While those respondents aged 30-39 years showed a significantly increased likelihood of being a current smoker (AOR 5.64, 95 % CI 1.31-9.26), knowledge that secondhand smoke is harmful (AOR 0.22, 95 % CI 0.07-0.70) and support for tobacco-free policy (AOR 0.11, 95 % CI 0.04-0.27) decreased the likelihood.


CONCLUSIONS
Low tobacco use among faculty and administrators confirmed the relationship between tobacco use and socio-economic status, even in a tobacco-producing environment. Disaggregation of tobacco use data assists the public health community in the efficient allocation of efforts and resources for cessation programs to reduce tobacco use in such environments.
Department of Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, 313 Oxford House, Nashville, TN 37232, USA. drveeranki@gmail.com
Sreenivas P
SP
Veeranki
Hadii M
HM
Mamudu
Yi
Y
He
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016272:Occupational Health; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013714:Tennessee / Q000453:epidemiology; D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution / Q000032:analysis; D014495:Universities
D014028:Tobacco Smoke Pollution