Investigating the Knowledge and Perceptions of Male Smokers Regarding the Effects of Secondhand Smoke in Pregnancy

Smoking men expose their wives to cigarette smoke; secondhand smoke is associated with many complications. The present study was conducted in order to investigate the knowledge and perception of male smokers regarding the effects of secondhand smoke during pregnancy.

In this cross-sectional descriptive study, the sample size was 140 male smokers with pregnant wives who referred to Isfahan health centers to receive pregnancy care. The tool used in this study was a researcher-made questionnaire regarding knowledge, attitude, perceived sensitivity and perceived severity of men regarding second-hand smoke. The validity of the instrument was confirmed by the panel of experts and its reliability was confirmed by Cronbach's alpha of 0.85. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20 software and correlation tests, ANOVA and t-test with a significance level of less than 0.05.

The mean age of male participants was 35.34±6.03 years. The mean score of awareness (2.97±2.47), emotional dimension of attitude (9.62±2.09), perceived sensitivity (27.83±5.45) and perceived intensity (27.76±6.01) regarding the side effects of second-hand smoke, the value was lower than the mean and was evaluated in an unfavorable condition. Men's old age, men's low education, low economic status were related to low perceived intensity (p>0.05).

The level of knowledge and perceptions of male smokers regarding the effects of secondhand smoke was low. Men's old age, men's low education, and low economic status are the risk factors that reduce men's perceptions of the dangers of second-hand smoke. Therefore, educational packages should be prepared and presented according to these factors and according to the level of education and perception of these people.