Tobacco smoking, second‐hand smoking exposure in relation to psychotic‐like experiences in adolescents.

Background: Previous literature supports that tobacco smoking and second‐hand smoking (SHS) exposure were strongly associated with poor mental health in the general population. However, there is a lack of empirical data on the relationship between tobacco smoking, SHS exposure and psychotic‐like experiences (PLEs). This study conducted a cross‐sectional survey to explore PLEs and the associations of PLEs with tobacco smoking and SHS exposure among adolescents in China. Methods: A total sample of 67 182 Chinese adolescents were recruited from Guangdong province in China (53.7% boys, mean age = 12.79 years) from December 17 to 26, 2021. All adolescents have completed self‐reported questionnaires on demographic characteristics, smoking status, SHS exposure and PLEs. Results: Within the sample, only 1.2% of participants had an experience of tobacco smoking while approximately three‐fifths reported being exposed to SHS. 10.7% of adolescents reported frequent PLEs over the past month. Adolescents who smoked showed a higher prevalence of PLEs than in non‐smoking samples. After controlling for confounders, SHS exposure was a robust risk factor for PLEs with or without the effect of tobacco smoking. Discussion: These findings support the importance of smoke‐free legislation, and anti‐smoking measures in educational settings directed at both adolescents and their caregiver, which may decrease occurring rates of PLEs among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]