Prevalence and predictors of indoor secondhand tobacco smoke exposure among Senegalese household population

Indoor secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure imposes substantial health risks among all household members, including children. Earlier studies reported high tobacco use in West African country Senegal. Despite the high health risks, no recent study has presented the situation of indoor SHS exposure in Senegal. Using cross-sectional design, we assessed the prevalence and predictors of indoor SHS exposure in Senegal. We used recent demographic and health survey (DHS) 2023 data of 75,080 household members of all ages. Analyzing these data, the prevalence of indoor SHS was assessed, and binomial logistic regression was used to identify predictors of indoor SHS exposure. The prevalence of indoor SHS exposure in Senegal was 24% (95% CI 23.5–24.2). Females, compared to males, were less likely to get indoor SHS exposure (aOR 0.9; 95% CI 0.8–0.9). Compared to the urban population, rural residents were less likely to get indoor SHS exposure (aOR 0.8; 95% CI 0.7–0.8). Individuals lived in households where members experienced shock events (aOR 1.2; 95% CI 1.1–1.2) and had members with psychological issues (aOR 1.5; 95% CI 1.4–1.6) were more susceptible to indoor SHS exposure. We conclude that indoor SHS exposure is high, particularly among Senegalese males, urban residents, and the poorest wealth quintiles. Additionally, susceptibility to indoor SHS increases with the presence of stressors like past adverse shock events and mental health issues. Both of these stressors encourage indoor smoking and intensify the risk of indoor SHS exposure among all household members. Community-based interventions providing behavior change communication on quitting tobacco and preventing indoor smoking are recommended.