Developing a smoke free household initiative: an Indonesian case study

This paper describes a community based survey in Indonesia that investigated these issues as one step in a movement to initiate community wide household smoking bans.This project surveyed six communities in Yogyakarta, Java between December 2008 and July 2009.

The survey data reported in this paper speak to Javanese womens' support for a smoke free household initiative. The prevalence of SHS exposure reported in this study (70%) is probably underreported, as most women's self reports of SHS exposure are based on their exposure to visible smoke, and not the environmental smoke, which travels and lingers within confined spaces. Women were aware of the harm of SHS to themselves and their children, but felt powerless to alter their husband's smoking behavior in the household.

Survey results indicate that while a majority of men voice some degree of support for a household smoking ban, they are concerned about social risk, that is, risk to routine harmonious social relations.

Engagement in smoking cessation both at level of "social spaces", where women and children are affected by SHS, and at level of individual smokers is so important.

Nichter, M. et al., 2010. Developing a smoke free household initiative: an Indonesian case study. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 89(4), pp.578–581. Available at: http://doi.wiley.com/10.3109/00016340903578893.