Table of Contents

Component Description

The Smoking and Tobacco Use – Secondhand Smoke Exposure (variable name prefix SMQSHS) dataset provides information on potential exposure to other persons’ cigarette and tobacco smoke in various indoor environments over the past 7 days. A new question was added in 2017-2018 to capture potential exposure to vapor from e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine delivery systems.

Eligible Sample

All participants were eligible.

Interview Setting and Mode of Administration

The questions were asked as part of the Sample Person questionnaire, in the home, using the Computer-Assisted Personal interview (CAPI) system for persons aged 18 years and older, and to proxy respondents for persons aged 0-11 years. Youth aged 12-17 years were asked the questions using CAPI during the MEC Interview.

Quality Assurance & Quality Control

The CAPI system is programmed with built-in consistency checks to reduce data entry errors. CAPI also uses online help screens to assist interviewers in defining key terms used in the questionnaire.

Analytic Notes

For each environment where exposure to secondhand smoke may have occurred (job, bar, restaurant, other homes, other indoor place) a filter question was asked to determine first whether the respondent was in this location during the past 7 days. When the response was “no,” the respondent was not asked the follow-up question about exposure to smokers at the location. Only adults 18+ years were asked about tobacco exposure in their workplaces and in bars. The variable SMAQUEX designates the age group and mode of the questionnaire.

Note that only youth aged 12-17 were asked these questions in the MEC , which is the same time that phlebotomy and urine collection occurred for laboratory measurements.

Questions that identify persons who smoke inside the home are found in SMQFAM. Questions on cigarette smoking and other tobacco use are located in SMQ and SMQRTU data files. In addition, biochemical measurements of tobacco exposure, including serum cotinine, are found in the NHANES laboratory data files.

The NHANES full sample 2-Year MEC Exam Weights (WTMEC2YR) can be used to analyze the 2017-2018 SMQSHS variables in conjunction with the laboratory measurements on tobacco exposure, or any examination-related data.  Please refer to the NHANES Analytic Guidelines and the on-line NHANES Tutorial for further details on the use of sample weights and other analytic issues.

Codebook and Frequencies

SEQN - Respondent sequence number

Variable Name:
SEQN
SAS Label:
Respondent sequence number
English Text:
Respondent sequence number.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS

SMQ856 - Last 7-d worked at job not at home?

Variable Name:
SMQ856
SAS Label:
Last 7-d worked at job not at home?
English Text:
I will now ask you about tobacco smoke in other places. During the last 7 days, {were you/was SP} working at a job or business outside of the home?
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 2968 2968
2 No 2888 5856 SMQ860
7 Refused 0 5856 SMQ860
9 Don't know 0 5856 SMQ860
. Missing 3398 9254

SMQ858 - Last 7-d at job someone smoked indoors?

Variable Name:
SMQ858
SAS Label:
Last 7-d at job someone smoked indoors?
English Text:
While {you were/SP was} working at a job or business outside of the home, did someone else smoke cigarettes or other tobacco products indoors?
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 365 365
2 No 2601 2966
7 Refused 0 2966
9 Don't know 2 2968
. Missing 6286 9254

SMQ860 - Last 7-d spent time in a restaurant?

Variable Name:
SMQ860
SAS Label:
Last 7-d spent time in a restaurant?
English Text:
{I will now ask you about smoking in other places.} During the last 7 days, did {you/SP} spend time in a restaurant?
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 4494 4494
2 No 4675 9169 SMQ864
7 Refused 0 9169 SMQ864
9 Don't know 7 9176 SMQ864
. Missing 78 9254

SMQ862 - Last 7-d at rest someone smoked indoors?

Variable Name:
SMQ862
SAS Label:
Last 7-d at rest someone smoked indoors?
English Text:
While {you were/SP was} in a restaurant, did someone else smoke cigarettes or other tobacco products indoors?
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 196 196
2 No 4283 4479
7 Refused 0 4479
9 Don't know 15 4494
. Missing 4760 9254

SMQ864 - CHECK ITEM

Variable Name:
SMQ864
English Instructions:
CHECK ITEM: IF SP >=18 YEARS, CONTINUE. OTHERWISE, GO TO SMQ870.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS

SMQ866 - Last 7-d spent time in a bar?

Variable Name:
SMQ866
SAS Label:
Last 7-d spent time in a bar?
English Text:
During the last 7 days, {did you/SP} spend time in a bar?
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 692 692
2 No 5164 5856 SMQ870
7 Refused 0 5856 SMQ870
9 Don't know 0 5856 SMQ870
. Missing 3398 9254

SMQ868 - Last 7-d in bar someone smoked indoors?

Variable Name:
SMQ868
SAS Label:
Last 7-d in bar someone smoked indoors?
English Text:
While {you were/SP was} in a bar, did someone else smoke cigarettes or other tobacco products indoors?
Target:
Both males and females 18 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 200 200
2 No 490 690
7 Refused 0 690
9 Don't know 2 692
. Missing 8562 9254

SMQ870 - Last 7-d rode in a car?

Variable Name:
SMQ870
SAS Label:
Last 7-d rode in a car?
English Text:
During the last 7 days, did {you/SP} ride in a car or motor vehicle?
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 8604 8604
2 No 572 9176 SMQ874
7 Refused 0 9176 SMQ874
9 Don't know 0 9176 SMQ874
. Missing 78 9254

SMQ872 - Last 7-d someone smoked in car?

Variable Name:
SMQ872
SAS Label:
Last 7-d someone smoked in car?
English Text:
While {you were/SP was} riding in a car or motor vehicle, did someone else smoke cigarettes or other tobacco products?
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 1163 1163
2 No 7436 8599
7 Refused 0 8599
9 Don't know 5 8604
. Missing 650 9254

SMQ874 - Last 7-d spent time in another home?

Variable Name:
SMQ874
SAS Label:
Last 7-d spent time in another home?
English Text:
During the last 7 days, did {you/SP} spend time in a home other than {your/his/her} own?
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 4247 4247
2 No 4928 9175 SMQ878
7 Refused 0 9175 SMQ878
9 Don't know 1 9176 SMQ878
. Missing 78 9254

SMQ876 - Last 7-d in home someone smoked indoors?

Variable Name:
SMQ876
SAS Label:
Last 7-d in home someone smoked indoors?
English Text:
While {you were/SP was} in a home other than {your/his/her} own, did someone else smoke cigarettes or other tobacco products indoors?
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 542 542
2 No 3676 4218
7 Refused 0 4218
9 Don't know 29 4247
. Missing 5007 9254

SMQ878 - Last 7-d in other indoor area?

Variable Name:
SMQ878
SAS Label:
Last 7-d in other indoor area?
English Text:
During the last 7 days,{were you/was SP} in any other indoor area?
English Instructions:
INTERVIEWER: IF RESPONDENT ASKS WHAT IS MEANT BY OR DOESN'T SEEM TO UNDERSTAND "ANY OTHER INDOOR AREA" SAY "OTHER THAN AT WORK, IN A BAR, RESTAURANT, CAR, OTHER MOTOR VEHICLE, OR A HOUSE."
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 5559 5559
2 No 3612 9171
7 Refused 0 9171
9 Don't know 5 9176
. Missing 78 9254

SMQ880 - Last 7-d in other indoor someone smoked?

Variable Name:
SMQ880
SAS Label:
Last 7-d in other indoor someone smoked?
English Text:
While {you were/SP was} in the other indoor area, did someone else smoke cigarettes or other tobacco products?
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 383 383
2 No 5165 5548
7 Refused 0 5548
9 Don't know 11 5559
. Missing 3695 9254

SMQ940 - Last 7-d someone used e-cigs indoors?

Variable Name:
SMQ940
SAS Label:
Last 7-d someone used e-cigs indoors?
English Text:
The next question is about e-cigarettes. During the last 7 days, {were you/was SP} in an indoor place where someone was using an e cigarette, e hookah, vape pen or other similar electronic product?
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 Yes 911 911
2 No 8041 8952
7 Refused 0 8952
9 Don't know 26 8978
. Missing 276 9254

SMAQUEX - Questionnaire Mode Flag

Variable Name:
SMAQUEX
SAS Label:
Questionnaire Mode Flag
English Text:
Questionnaire Mode Flag.
Target:
Both males and females 0 YEARS - 150 YEARS
Code or Value Value Description Count Cumulative Skip to Item
1 MEC CAPI Youth (12 - 17 Yrs.) 868 868
2 Household CAPI Adults (18+ Yrs.) 5856 6724
3 Household CAPI Youth (0 - 11 Yrs.) 2491 9215
. Missing 39 9254