Husband’s smoking behaviors associated with women’s depression in China: the importance of a smoke-free household

Background: Passive smoking is a significant public health problem worldwide. The aim of this study was to examine the association between passive smoking and women’s depression.Methods: Data for this study were obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS), and panel data analysis was applied. Data from a total of 10,498 Chinese women were selected for analysis, including 2,919 who were interviewed in 2011, 3,490 in 2013, and 4,089 in 2015.Results: Passive smoking was found to be significantly associated with depression. Compared with those living in nonsmoking households, women who had lived with a smoking husband for over 20 years had significantly more depressive symptoms. In addition, compared with individuals with lower educational levels, and residing in nonsmoking households, those with more education were less likely to develop depression, although exposed to smoking.Conclusions: The results suggest that passive smoking within households is a risk factor for depression among Chinese women. Smoke-free policies should be promoted, to help push forward tobacco control in China. Provision of more educational opportunities for Chinese women should also be promoted, as these will also help to protect them against the negative effects brought on by passive smoking.Abbreviations: CHARLS: China health and retirement longitudinal study; CES-D: center for epidemiological studies depression Scale; SES: socio-economic status