In a recent study, UC Davis researcher Elisa Tong found that the effectiveness of smoke-free regulations among Asian American women depends largely on socioeconomic status.
Although the majority of Asian American women do not smoke, lower-educated women may be at an increased risk for second-hand smoke exposure.
To conduct this study, Tong analyzed 2008 data comparing women with lower and higher educational status in terms of their adoption and enforcement of smoke-free policies. While most respondents said that they prohibit smoking in their homes and indoor workplaces, lower-educated women were more likely to cite instances of allowing others to smoke in their home or at their indoor workplace.
Tong concluded that although California has significantly decreased racial and ethnic disparities in terms of the enforcement of smoke-free policies, differences are still prevalent among Asian American women who differ in socioeconomic status.
Lower-educated women, she said, may need assistance with empowerment in enforcing rules around exposure to second-hand smoke.
Tong’s study, “Smoke-Free Policies Among Asian-American Women: Comparisons by Education Status,” was recently published in a special supplement of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine funded by the National Cancer Institute and American Legacy Foundation. ♦