Sang-Yun Kang1, Young Hye Cho1, Dong-Wook Jeong1, Sang-Yeoup Lee1,3, Yun Jin Kim2, Jeong Gyu Lee2, Hyun-Ju Lim1

1Department of Family Medicine, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Yangsan, Korea 2Department of Family Medicine, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Korea 3Medical Education Unit and Medical Research Institute Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan, Korea


Background: The relationship between secondhand smoke and health-related quality of life is still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between secondhand smoke and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in middle-aged Korean adults.
Methods: Data from 583 men and 3,869 women aged 40 to 64 years who participated in the fifth Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2010 to 2012 were evaluated. All of them are non-smokers or have smoked less than 5 packs of cigarettes for their whole life. Secondhand smoke exposed at home and workplace was assessed by using a questionnaire and HRQoL was assessed by EuroQoL five dimensions (EQ-5D). The association of secondhand smoke and HRQoL was analyzed by logistic regression analysis.
Results: Low HRQoL was associated with sex, age, body mass index, education level, family income level, occupation status, underlying diseases and secondhand smoke exposure. After adjustment for variables, secondhand smoke exposure at home was positively associated with the anxiety/depression dimension of EQ-5D (Odds ratio: 1.49, 95% Confidence interval: 1.02-2.18).
Conclusions: Secondhand smoke exposure at home is associated with anxiety and depression dimensions of EQ-5D in middle-aged Korean adults.
Korean J Health Promot 2015;15(4):185-193

Keywords: Tobacco smoke pollution, Quality of life, Anxiety, Depression