An Epidemiological Study of Tobacco Use Among Males Above 15 Years of Age in an Urban Area of Meerut District

Abstract

BACKGROUNDIn India, approximately 5500 children and adolescents start using tobacco products daily, some as young as 10 years old. The majority of users have first use tobacco prior to the age of 18 years. Uttar Pradesh shows a high tobacco use, smoking being more popular than chewing. OBJECTIVES 1. To find out the prevalence of tobacco use among males above 15 years of age. 2. To assess the sociodemographic and other correlates on tobacco use. MATERIALS AND METHODSOut of 10,000 population residing in urban field practice area, number of males above 15 years of age was 3800. A sampling of eligible subjects was done by systematic random sampling technique, including every 4 th male in study. RESULTSThe prevalence of tobacco use is 54.68%, among which 28.12% are smoking and 26.56% are using smokeless form of tobacco. The prevalence is more in upper socioeconomic status (38.70%) than lower socioeconomic status (25%), more in nuclear families as comparison to joint family and in non-vegetarian as comparison to vegetarians. There is also an association between literacy and tobacco use; more in illiterate persons as comparison to those who are educated for more than high school. CONCLUSIONSThis study shows that the prevalence of tobacco use is high among nuclear families, high socioeconomic status, unmarried people, non-vegetarians and illiterate persons.