Factors Related to a Smoke-free Home Status: A Parental Report

Purpose: The household smoking ban is one potential strategy for reducing exposure to second-hand smoke at home. There is little information about whether concurrent alcohol and tobacco use are related to a smoking ban at home. This study aimed to examine the association between concurrent alcohol and tobacco use with the household smoking ban strategy as reported by the parents of schoolchildren. Methods: We used data from a cross-sectional study that surveyed schoolchildren at 9 schools (grades 6 to 8). A self-administered questionnaire was sent out to the parents of 1,335 schoolchildren. Household smoking ban status was reported by the parents. We used multiple logistics regression to investigate the association between the household smoking ban and alcohol and tobacco use adjusted for potential confounders. Results: The prevalence of a no-smoking ban in households was 51% (95% confidence interval: 48.4%, 53.8%). After adjusting for the number of smokers in a home and perceptions about the harm of exposure to second-hand smoke, the multiple logistics regression results showed that concurrent alcohol and tobacco use in the households (OR = 2.31; 95% CI: 1.66, 3.20) had a higher risk of a no-smoking ban. Conclusions: Our findings showed that concurrent alcohol and tobacco use was associated with a smoking ban status in households. A no-alcohol-drinking-at-home campaign should be adopted and promoted for increasing the rate of smoke-free homes.     

Socioeconomic Inequality in Concurrent Tobacco and Alcohol Consumption

Background: Whilst several studies have examined inequity of tobacco use and inequity of alcohol drinking individually, comparatively little is known about concurrent tobacco and alcohol consumption. The present study therefore investigated inequity of concurrent tobacco and alcohol consumption in Thailand. Methods: The 2015 Health and Welfare Survey was obtained from Thailand’s National Statistical Office and used as a source of national representative data. Concurrent tobacco and alcohol consumption was defined as current and concurrent use of both tobacco and alcohol. The wealth assets index was used as an indicator of socioeconomic inequity. Socioeconomic status included 5 groups ranging from poorest (Q1) to richest (Q5). A total of 55,920 households and 113,705 participants aged 15 years or over were included and analyzed. A weighted multiple logistic regression was performed. Results: The prevalence of concurrent tobacco and alcohol consumption, tobacco consumption only, and alcohol consumption only were 15.2% (95% CI: 14.9, 15.4), 4.7% (95% CI: 4.5, 4.8), and 18.9% (95% CI: 18.7, 19.1), respectively. Weighted multiple logistic regression showed that concurrent tobacco and alcohol consumption was high in the poorest socioeconomic group (P for trend: <0.001), and tobacco consumption only was also high in the poorest group (P for trend: <0.001). A high prevalence of alcohol consumption was observed in the richest group (P for trend: <0.001). Conclusions: These findings suggest that tobacco and alcohol consumption prevention programs would be more effective if they considered socioeconomic inequities in concurrent tobacco and alcohol consumption rather than focusing on single drug use.     

Assessment of bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine reaction in HIV-exposed Thai infants.

We evaluated local reactions at 1, 2, and 4 months of age to bacille Calmette-Guérin vaccine given at birth to 1058 infants who were exposed to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). No scar was discernible in 12 (12.4%) of 97 HIV-infected infants and 20 (2.1%) of 961 uninfected infants (relative risk, 5.9; 95% confidence interval, 3.0-11.8). This difference may reflect poorer immunogenicity in HIV-infected infants.     

Lack of resistant mutation development after receiving short-course zidovudine plus lamivudine to prevent mother-to-child transmission

A short-course regimen of zidovudine plus lamivudine starting from 34 weeks' gestation in pregnant women to prevent mother-to-child HIV infection, and discontinued after delivery, was evaluated for the development of resistance at 6 weeks postpartum. No resistant mutation was found in 32 women. One of the three infected infants carried the M184V and K219Q mutations.