Measuring Willingness to Accept Second-Hand Smoke Exposure

Objectives: To develop a scale to measure willingness to accept secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure, and to assess its psychometric properties. Methods: We sent a questionnaire containing items on willingness to accept SHS exposure to a convenience sample of 420 senior dental students for self-administration. We assessed the internal consistency of the scale using Cronbach's alpha. Principal component analysis was used to identify scale components. Results: A total of 338 students completed the questionnaire (80.5%). Of those, 96% reported exposure to SHS. Cronbach's alpha was .87 for the 13-item scale, indicating good internal consistency. The mean (SD) score (aggregate measure) for the 13-item scale was 46.8 (21.1). Principal component analysis revealed a structure with 3 components: unwillingness to accept SHS exposure, routine willingness to accept SHS exposure, and willingness to accept SHS exposure when avoidance is difficult. Mean scores differed significantly according to smoking status, providing initial support for the scale construct validity. Conclusions: The multicomponent, 13-item scale was a valid and reliable measure of willingness to accept SHS exposure. If validated in other populations, it might be useful in planning and evaluating tobacco prevention programs in these populations.