"It's Worse to Breathe It Than to Smoke It": Secondhand Smoke Beliefs in a Group of Mexican and Central American Immigrants in the United States

The effect of secondhand smoke exposure on dental caries and gingival health among schoolchildren in Damascus, Syria: a cross-sectional study

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of secondhand smoke on dental caries and gingival health among schoolchildren in Damascus, Syria.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study. It was carried out at government schools in Damascus, Syria. This study included healthy children aged 10 to 13 years old. Schoolchildren were interviewed to answer the researcher-administered questionnaire to obtain answers regarding demographic information and family smoking behavior. A dental examination was performed by a dentist, and the number of decayed (D), missing (M), and filled (F) permanent teeth (DMFT) was scored based on the World Health Organization (WHO) 1997. A gingival examination was performed using the modified gingival index (MGI) and Silness-Leo plaque index (PI) to assess gingival inflammation and plaque accumulation, respectively.

RESULTS

A total of 284 schoolchildren participated. More than half (61.26%) of them were exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS), and about half of them (52.11%) resided in a house with at least one cigarette smoked in a day. About one-third of the passive smokers (33.30%) had poor plaque control, with a statistically significant difference from non-passive smokers (p < 0.05). The multivariate regression model showed that the number of smokers at home was significantly associated with the DMFT score, dental plaque accumulation, and gingival inflammation (p < 0.1). However, the number of cigarettes smoked at home in a day was not a predictor for dental caries and gingival status (p = 1.000).

CONCLUSIONS

Within the limitations of this study, the number of smokers at home appears to have more adverse effects on children's oral health compared to the quantity of smoke inhaled. In addition, SHSe was associated with more dental plaque accumulation among schoolchildren.

Adverse Childhood Experiences Among Low-Income, Latinx Children in Immigrant Families: Comparison of Children in Rural Farmworker and Urban Non-Farmworker Communities

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are stressors that can have lifelong detrimental health effects. ACEs are a concern for children of immigrant parents. The low-income mothers of 75 rural farmworker and 63 urban non-farmworker 8-year old Latinx children in immigrant families completed a standardized ACEs inventory. 47.1% of mothers reported no ACEs, 33.3% reported 1, 8.7% reported 2, and 10.9% reported 3 or more. A logistic regression model indicated that urban versus rural children had a higher odds (OR = 2.35, 95% CI = 1.01, 5.48) of at least one ACE. Children living in families with 2 versus 1 adults (OR = 0.10, 95% CI = 0.02, 0.49) and 3 versus 1 adults (OR = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.02, 0.78) had a lower odds of at least one ACE. ACEs prevalence was similar to other children in immigrant families, with children living in urban communities having twice the likelihood of experiencing an ACE. Detailed research is needed on locality-based ACEs prevalence.