Evaluation of the effect of parents' awareness of third-hand smoke on their intention to quit smoking

Third-hand smoke is defined as a form of passive exposure to harmful chemicals that accumulate on objects in the environment after smoking and become respirable again over time. This concept, which is relatively new in the field of public health, poses a significant public health problem, particularly for infants and children.Our study was conducted to assess the effect of parents' awareness levels regarding third-hand smoke on smoking cessation behavior. Our study was conducted to evaluate the effect of parents' awareness levels regarding third-hand smoke on smoking cessation behavior. This cross-sectional study was conducted between February 13 2024, and November 20, 2025. The study was carried out at the pediatric outpatient clinic and pediatric ward of Fırat University Hospital. The sample consisted of parents aged 18–65 with children under the age of 18, and data were collected from 502 individuals. The data collection tools used were the Demographic Information Form, the Third-Hand Smoke Awareness Scale, and the Smoking Cessation Intention Scale. The simple linear correlation and regression analysis conducted in the study shows that the level of awareness about third-hand smoke significantly predicts individuals' intention to quit smoking. Consequently, raising awareness about third-hand smoke should be considered an important public health nursing task in order to positively influence the smoking cessation behaviors of individuals, particularly parents. It is thought that educational and intervention programs aimed at increasing awareness levels among parents could be an important factor in smoking cessation.