An Exploratory Study of Variations in Exposure to Environmental Tobacco Smoke in the United States

There is considerable interest in assessing exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) and in understanding the factors that affect exposure at various venues. The impact of these complex factors can be researched only if monitoring studies are carefully designed. Prior work by Jenkins et al. gathered personal monitor and diary data from 1,564 nonsmokers in 16 metropolitan areas of the United States and compared workplace exposures to ETS with exposures away from work. In this study, these data were probed further to examine (1) the correspondence between work and away‐from‐work exposure concentrations of ETS; (2) the variability in exposure concentration levels across cities; and (3) the association of ETS exposure concentrations with select socioeconomic, occupation, and lifestyle variables. The results indicate (1) at the population level, there was a positive association between ETS concentrations at the work and away‐from‐work environments; (2) exposure concentration levels across the 16 cities under consideration were highly variable; and (3) exposure concentration levels were significantly associated with occupation, education, household income, age, and dietary factors. Workplace smoking restrictions were associated with low ETS concentration levels at work as well as away from work. Generally, the same cities that exhibited either lower or higher away‐from‐work exposure concentration levels also showed lower or higher work exposure concentration levels. The observations suggest that similar avoidance characteristics as well as socioeconomic and other lifestyle factors that affect exposure to ETS may have been in operation in both away‐from‐work and work settings.