Background: Tobacco is a killer of men and women but sex specific differences exists. Along with the risk of suffering from the various health hazards from tobacco use, women are more prone to unique risks related to menstrual and reproductive function reproductive health hazards. This study was done to know the prevalence of tobacco consumption among the rural women in the reproductive age group and its association with the regularity of menstrual cycles and dysmenorrhoea.Methods: A community based cross sectional study, conducted from January 2011 to December 2011 among 1200 rural women aged between 15 years to 49 years residing in Primary Health Centre (PHC) Vantmuri area, Belgaum, Karnataka, India. Statistical analysis was done using rates, ratios and chi-square tests.. Results: The prevalence of tobacco consumption was 9.7%. 11 (10.9%) of currently pregnant women were consuming tobacco. Among the tobacco users, 89 (76.1%) had regular cycles. The association of tobacco consumption with irregular menstrual cycles was statistically significant (χ2=5.575, df=1, p=0.018). Further in this study, a very high percentage of 100 (85.5%) of the tobacco users had dysmenorrhoea. The difference was statistically strongly significant. (χ2=266.593, df=1, p<0.001). Among the tobacco users with irregular menstrual cycles, the most common manifestation was oligomenorrhoea 12 (42.9%) followed by 9 (32.1%) and 7 (25%) of menorrhagia and polymenorrhoea respectively. Conclusions: Significant association was found between tobacco consumption and the irregularity of menstrual cycles and dysmenorrhoea. It has become the need of the hour to provide enough evidence on the correlates of tobacco use in the community to assist government policy makers, health professionals and the public in developing realistic models towards effective tobacco control to cater to different sections of community in need.
Tobacco consumption is the single most important avoidable risk factor in the growth of non communicable diseases all over the world [1]. Tobacco use is world's number one killer and it kills up to half of its regular users. About 22% of women in developed countries and nine percent of women in developing countries smoke tobacco. In addition, many women in south Asia chew tobacco. Tobacco causes negative effects on a person's health as soon as he/she starts using it in any form either regularly or occasionally. Tobacco kills both men and women but sex-specific differences exist.
INTRODUCTION "Tobacco" appears as old as human civilization. Tobacco use is world's number one killer and it kills up to half of its regular users. It is claiming the lives of nearly 5.4 million people a year worldwide. 1 Burden in South East Asia region is one of the highest among WHO regions. Estimated number of tobacco users in India is 274.9 million with a lot of regional variation. 2 In India, each year nine lakh people die due to tobacco related diseases ABSTRACT Background: Tobacco kills both men and women but sex-specific differences exist. The disease burden, health care costs as well as other social losses resulting from premature deaths attributable to tobacco consumption are rapidly increasing not only in men but even among children, teenagers, women of reproductive age group. The use of multiple forms of tobacco in India complicates the efforts to reduce its overall impact on public health. This study was done to know the socio demographic correlates of tobacco consumption among the rural women in the reproductive age group. Methods: A community based cross sectional study, conducted from January 2011 to December 2011 among 1200 rural women aged between 15 years to 49 years residing in Primary Health Centre (PHC) Vantmuri area, Belgaum, Karnataka, India. Statistical analysis was done using rates, ratios and chi square tests. Results: Tobacco consumption was seen in 9.7% of the study participants. Amongst the users, tobacco consumption was more i.e. 38 (19.3%) in women belonging to the older age group of 45 to 49 years. A very high prevalence of tobacco use of 98 (15.9%) was observed out of 615 study participants who were illiterate suggesting that women with no education are at a higher risk of consuming tobacco than the women with high school education. A high proportion 100 (10.2%) of people consuming tobacco was seen in women belonging to Class V socio economic class. Conclusions: Prevalence of tobacco consumption was quite high. Poor and illiterate women living in rural area are at the maximum risk of using tobacco. There is a need for appropriate interventions to create awareness among the women about the hazards of tobacco use and to help them eventually to stop tobacco consumption. There is a need for appropriate intervention to create awareness among the women about the hazards of tobacco use and to help them eventually to stop tobacco consumption.
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