Background: Secondhand smoke exposure (SHS) causes many fatal diseases to children and there is no safe level of exposure. In Hong Kong, around 41%of infants are exposed to household SHS and leading to the additional hospital admissions of the infants. Objectives: To study the effectiveness of a theory-based family intervention delivered by the smoking cessation counselor (SCCs) which aims to reduce household SHS exposure to infants under 18-months, by helping fathers to quit smoking and motivating mothers to establish a smoke-free home . Methods: Families with a smoking father, non-smoking mother and an infant attended the Maternal and Child Health Centres (MCHCs) were invited to join this randomized controlled trial. The family (mother and father) was randomized after the completion of mother’s baseline questionnaire and the collection of saliva samples from mothers and infants. Father was then contacted for telephone baseline interview. Individual interventions were provided to both mothers and fathers at baseline, 1-week and 1-month, and a family session involving both parents was offered to the intervention group. The control group received information on the hazards of SHS and the benefits of smoking cessation. The intervention and control groups were followed-up at 6-and 12-monthsto assess father’s smoking behavior and the execution of a complete no-smoking policy at home. Chi-squares and independent t-tests were used to assess the group differences in father’s smoking behavior and the initiation of a smoke-free home. Generalized estimating equations were used to examine the group changes of mothers’ and infants’ saliva cotinine levels from baseline to 12-month. Logistic regressions were performed to identify the predictors on father’s smoking behavior and the initiation of a smoke-free home. Results: There were 1,158 families randomized. Significantly more fathers in the intervention groupattainedhigher7-day point prevalence quit rate at 6-(8.0% vs 4.1%, p= .007)and 12-months (13.7% vs 8.0%, p= .002)respectively, stopped smoking at home at 12-month (35.7% vs 28.8%, p= .023), higher continuous quit rates at 6-(3.3% vs 0.7%, p= .002) and 12-month (1.8% vs 0.2%, p= .006), reduction of daily cigarette consumption over 50% at 12-month (33.4% vs 23.9%, p= .006), improvement in the stage of readiness to quit smoking at 6-month (13.0% vs 8.9%, p= .04) and more quit attempts (30.9% vs 24.1%, p=.015). No group differences were found in the establishment of the smoke-free home and the changes of saliva cotinine levels of infants and mothers from baseline to follow-ups. Discussion: This theory-based family intervention is effective in reducing household SHS exposure to infants by helping fathers to quit and stopped them to smoking at home, but it is less effective in motivating the mothers to initiate a smoke-free home. Significance: This is the first study testing a theory-based family intervention in reducing household SHS exposure to healthy infants. The family intervention provides a new insight in using ‘family’ as a unit for the intervention to reduce household SHS exposure to healthy infants by improving fathers' household smoking behavior and helping them to quit smoking. / published_or_final_version / Nursing Studies / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Thesis (M.Med.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 67-76). Also available in print.

<p>Tobacco smoking remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Despite all the efforts made by governments, researchers and communities to educate women about the dangerous effects of tobacco smoke and nicotine, smoking during pregnancy continues to be a common habit and accounts for a significant percentage of fetal morbidity and mortality. The offspring is, as a result, exposed to nicotine through the blood and the milk of the mother. Nicotine is therefore expected to interact with the developing fetus and the offspring of mothers who smoke or use Nicotine Replacement therapy for smoking cessation, resulting in the interference with normal fetal lung development. Maternal cigarette smoke or nicotine exposure produces adverse effects in the lungs of offspring, these include / intrauterine growth retardation, low birth weight, premature birth, reduced pulmonary function at birth, and a high occurrence of respiratory illnesses after birth. The main objectives of this study were to determine: 1) the effects of maternal nicotine exposure during gestation and lactation on lung development in the offspring, 2) if there is evidence of premature aging of the lungs of the lungs of the nicotine exposed offspring, and 3) whether tomato juice can have protective effects on the fetal lung development and function in the offspring. From the study, it was established that maternal nicotine exposure had no significant effect on the growth parameters of the offspring. However, it results in the late onset of gradual parenchymal damage which resembles premature aging. The study also found that the consumption of tomato juice may have protective effects on the premature aging of the lungs of the offspring.</p>

published_or_final_version / Medical Sciences / Master / Master of Medical Sciences

<p>Tobacco smoking remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Despite all the efforts made by governments, researchers and communities to educate women about the dangerous effects of tobacco smoke and nicotine, smoking during pregnancy continues to be a common habit and accounts for a significant percentage of fetal morbidity and mortality. The offspring is, as a result, exposed to nicotine through the blood and the milk of the mother. Nicotine is therefore expected to interact with the developing fetus and the offspring of mothers who smoke or use Nicotine Replacement therapy for smoking cessation, resulting in the interference with normal fetal lung development. Maternal cigarette smoke or nicotine exposure produces adverse effects in the lungs of offspring, these include / intrauterine growth retardation, low birth weight, premature birth, reduced pulmonary function at birth, and a high occurrence of respiratory illnesses after birth. The main objectives of this study were to determine: 1) the effects of maternal nicotine exposure during gestation and lactation on lung development in the offspring, 2) if there is evidence of premature aging of the lungs of the lungs of the nicotine exposed offspring, and 3) whether tomato juice can have protective effects on the fetal lung development and function in the offspring. From the study, it was established that maternal nicotine exposure had no significant effect on the growth parameters of the offspring. However, it results in the late onset of gradual parenchymal damage which resembles premature aging. The study also found that the consumption of tomato juice may have protective effects on the premature aging of the lungs of the offspring.</p>

Magister Scientiae (Medical Bioscience) - MSc(MBS) / Tobacco smoking remains one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Despite all the efforts made by governments, researchers and communities to educate women about the dangerous effects of tobacco smoke and nicotine, smoking during pregnancy continues to be a common habit and accounts for a significant percentage of fetal morbidity and mortality. The offspring is, as a result, exposed to nicotine through the blood and the milk of the mother. Nicotine is therefore expected to interact with the developing fetus and the offspring of mothers who smoke or use Nicotine Replacement therapy for smoking cessation, resulting in the interference with normal fetal lung development. Maternal cigarette smoke or nicotine exposure produces adverse effects in the lungs of offspring, these include; intrauterine growth retardation, low birth weight, premature birth, reduced pulmonary function at birth, and a high occurrence of respiratory illnesses after birth. The main objectives of this study were to determine: 1) the effects of maternal nicotine exposure during gestation and lactation on lung development in the offspring, 2) if there is evidence of premature aging of the lungs of the lungs of the nicotine exposed offspring, and 3) whether tomato juice can have protective effects on the fetal lung development and function in the offspring. From the study, it was established that maternal nicotine exposure had no significant effect on the growth parameters of the offspring. However, it results in the late onset of gradual parenchymal damage which resembles premature aging. The study also found that the consumption of tomato juice may have protective effects on the premature aging of the lungs of the offspring. / South Africa

published_or_final_version / Community Medicine / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy