Practice of tobacco free environment among restaurant workers and owners in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia

Abstract

Background and challenges to implementation: Second-Hand Smoking (SHS) exposure is common in restaurants and other enclosed places where smoking is permitted as some people failed to notice that restaurant is a public place. Tobacco free environment policy is one of the way to reduce the SHS exposure. This study aimed to determine the level of knowledge, attitude and practice towards tobacco free environment among restaurant workers and owners and the factors affecting thereof. Intervention or response: This was a cross-sectional study conducted among the restaurant workers and owners irrespective of gender. A total of 301 respondents had participated in this study. Data was collected by assisted self-administered questionnaires. Data on current tobacco control law, preventive knowledge and attitude, support and implementation of tobacco free restaurant were collected. Data entry and analysis were done by using SPSS version 22.0. Results and lessons learnt: The mean (SD) age of the restaurant workers and owners was 26.0(8.9) years with minimum age 15 and maximum 74 years old. Most of the respondents (47.2%) had good level of knowledge on Tobacco Control Law in Malaysia and 36.2% of them had excellent knowledge on SHS. Besides, 30.2% of them had good attitude towards tobacco free restaurants. Moreover, less than two-fifth (14.6%) of them were implementing 100% tobacco free restaurant. About half of the respondents (48.6%) had good support towards tobacco free restaurants. The support towards tobacco free restaurants was highest among Iban, respondent with secondary educational level non-smokers, having good knowledge on tobacco control law and SHS and having excellent level of attitude towards tobacco free restaurants (p< 0.05). Conclusions and key recommendations: Although the results did not depict national scenarios, however, the findings could be important in helping the effort on implementation of tobacco free restaurants. The findings of the results could also be utilised by policy makers for planning the implementation of tobacco free policy in restaurants in Malaysia.