Medical Students Awareness of Third- And Fourth-Hand Smoking and its Implications: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Context: Although the phrase "third hand smoke" (THS) may have first been used in print in 2006, it became increasingly popular in 2009. According to the researchers' findings from that study, house smoking restrictions were linked to the beliefs of 65.2% of non-smokers and 43.3% of smokers that THS could harm children. About two thirds of cigarette butts end up in the environment, which is known as fourth-hand smoke (FHS). 
The purpose of this study is to gauge medical students' knowledge of the implications of third- and fourth-hand smoking. 
Settings and Design: South Indian Medical College medical students 
Methods and Materials: In the months of April through June of 2023, a cross-sectional study was carried out among medical students at a medical college in South India. The study covered all medical students who provided their consent. The study participants completed a pre-made, semi-structured questionnaire via Google Forms, and their informed consent was obtained. Beliefs regarding THS were assessed using the Beliefs About Third Hand (BATHS) Scale. Initially, the data was entered into Microsoft Excel 2010, and the statistical program of social science (SPSS trial version 20.0) was used for analysis. 
Utilised statistical analysis: Frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, median, and interquartile range were computed using descriptive statistics. 
Findings: Of the 360 individuals involved, only 35.6% (128) were aware of secondhand smoke, and only 23.3% (84) were aware of thirdhand smoke. Of the individuals who were aware of THS, about 78 (60.9%) thought that children exposed to thirdhand smoke would first experience an acute respiratory tract illness, then asthma or wheeze. Out of 128 participants, 123 (96.1%) and 125 (97.7%) felt that smoking should be prohibited in homes and public areas, respectively. 
Conclusions: Since third-hand smoke has a negative impact on human health and was not well-known to medical students, efforts must be made to raise awareness among them. It is advisable to include instructional messages on third- and fourth-hand smoking in the medical curriculum