OBJECTIVETo disclose the relationship between current smoking behaviors and household characteristics among adults in Guangdong, in order to provide scientific evidence for household tobacco control strategy.

METHODSA questionnaire survey was conducted among the adults sampled by four-stage randomized cluster sampling in ten districts of five cities in Guangdong from September to November, 2010. The questionnaire included demographic characteristics, smoking behaviors and smoking-related household characteristics. Chi-square test and unconditional logistic regression analysis were employed to explore the relationship between current smoking behaviors and household characteristics.

RESULTSThis study included 2 150 respondents, with data from 2 121 eligible questionnaires used for analysis. The current smoking rates for respondents with household characteristics including per capita household income below 1 000 Yuan, three or more smokers in the family, no ban of smoking at home and treating visitors with cigarettes were 28.7%, 56.5%, 34.2% and 43.5% , respectively, and were significantly higher than those for respondents with household characteristics at other levels (P < 0.01 for all). After controlling for factors such as gender, age, personal income, education, employment status and residential location, we found that the number of family smokers, smoking restrictions at home and treating visitors with cigarettes had significant association with current smoking behaviors (P < 0.01 for all), except for per capita household income (P = 0.567).

CONCLUSIONHousehold is one of the effective places in carrying out health education and tobacco control intervention. In order to reduce tobacco use, much effort should be made to create smoke-free homes, encourage smoking cessation and treat visitors with no cigarettes.