Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2016
College/Unit
School of Public Health
Department/Program/Center
Social and Behavioral Sciences
Abstract
Background. The purpose of this study was to examine occupation-, education-, and gender-specific patterns of tobacco use and knowledge of its health effects among 23,953 rural Asian Indians ≥18 years in Gujarat. Methodology. A statewide, community-based, cross-sectional survey was conducted in 26 districts of Gujarat (December 2010–May 2015), using face-to-face interviews by trained community health workers called SEVAKS. Results. Mean age was 39.8 ± 15.2 years. Eighteen percent of respondents used tobacco in various forms. Tobacco consumption was significantly higher among males (32%), 18–34 years’ age group (35%), those who were self-employed (72%), and those with elementary education (40%). The prevalence was 11 times higher among males than females (95% CI = 9.78, 13.13). Adjusted ORs for tobacco use showed strong gradient by age and educational level; consumption was lower among the illiterates and higher for older participants (≥55 years). Tobacco consumption also varied by occupation; that is, those who were self-employed and employed for wages were more likely to use tobacco than those who were unemployed. Knowledge of health effects of tobacco lowered the odds of consumption by 30–40%. Conclusions. Effective educational programs should be tailored by gender, to improve knowledge of health risks and dispel myths on perceived benefits of tobacco.
Digital Commons Citation
Kahar, Payal; Misra, Ranjita; and Patel, Thakor G., "Sociodemographic Correlates of Tobacco Consumption in Rural Gujarat, India" (2016). Faculty & Staff Scholarship. 2459.
https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/faculty_publications/2459
Source Citation
Kahar, P., Misra, R., & Patel, T. G. (2016). Sociodemographic Correlates of Tobacco Consumption in Rural Gujarat, India. BioMed Research International, 2016, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1155/2016/5856740
Comments
Copyright © 2016 Payal Kahar et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.