Secondhand Smoke Increases the Risk of Psychiatric Morbidity: A Population-based Longitudinal Cohort Study
Introduction: Depression and anxiety are major global public health concerns associated with various negative outcomes. Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure has been proposed as a potential risk factor. We aimed to investigate whether SHS exposure is associated with psychiatric morbidity in a large popul...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Asian Journal of Social Health and Behavior |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://journals.lww.com/10.4103/shb.shb_341_24 |
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| Summary: | Introduction:
Depression and anxiety are major global public health concerns associated with various negative outcomes. Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure has been proposed as a potential risk factor. We aimed to investigate whether SHS exposure is associated with psychiatric morbidity in a large population-based cohort study.
Methods:
Data were derived from the Taiwan Biobank between December 2008 and December 2019, including over 120,000 noncancer participants aged 30–70 years. The cross-sectional analysis involved 88,510 never-smokers, while a longitudinal cohort of 19,575 participants with follow-up validated findings. SHS exposure was assessed through self-reported questionnaires, categorizing participants into exposure and nonexposure groups. Psychiatric morbidity was defined by either a self-reported history of diagnosed depression, a Patient Health Questionnaire 2-item (PHQ-2) score ≥3, or a Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item (GAD-2) score ≥3. Logistic regression adjusted for demographics and health factors analyzed the associations.
Results:
In the cross-sectional analysis, 8% reported SHS exposure, which was significantly associated with a higher prevalence of psychiatric morbidity (odds ratio [OR] = 1.26, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.12–1.42). Longitudinal analysis (mean follow-up: 47 months) supported these findings, with SHS exposure linked to an elevated risk of psychiatric morbidity (OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.07–1.74). Notably, SHS exposure ≥1 h/week nearly doubled the risk (OR = 1.97, 95% CI = 1.46–2.67).
Conclusion:
SHS exposure significantly increases the risk of psychiatric morbidity. Public health efforts are essential to reduce SHS exposure and address its mental health impacts. |
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| ISSN: | 2772-4204 |