Association between exposure to secondhand smoke and oral symptoms in adolescents from multicultural families: based on the 2024 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey

Objectives: To determine the association between exposure to secondhand smoke and oral symptoms in adolescents from multicultural families. Methods: Data were obtained from the 2024 Korea Youth Risk Behavior Web-based Survey conducted by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. A total of 1,610 adolescents from multicultural families without missing data were included in the analysis. Results: After adjusting for potential confounding variables, exposure to secondhand smoke in public places was significantly associated with oral symptoms. Compared with those who were not exposed, adolescents who were exposed to secondhand smoke in public places had a 1.29-fold higher risk of having tooth pain while eating and a 1.34fold higher risk of having throbbing or aching tooth pain. Conclusions: Based on the findings, it is necessary to develop health policies to prevent exposure to secondhand smoke, and to implement oral health promotion programs for adolescents from multicultural families.