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Original article
Tobacco use and nicotine dependence among the adult males of different socioeconomic groups within a medical college campus in Ammapettai, Kancheepuram district of South India
Glad M. I. Mohesh, Abinaya Vijayakumar
BACKGROUND: India is becoming one of the most tobacco consuming countries with the expected number tobacco-related deaths equaling to more than 1.5 million annually by 2020. As strong socioeconomic differences exist in the pattern and type of tobacco consumption across large number of communities and through varied cultures across the country, the objective of this study is to understand if there is any difference by socioeconomic status (SES) in nicotine dependence level and other characteristics related to tobacco quitting in tobacco users employed in a medical college campus.
METHODS: Cross-sectional survey was conducted with a pretested questionnaire among 150 current tobacco users from different departments within the campus. The level nicotine dependence was diagnosed using the Fagerstrom's nicotine dependence test. Kuppuswamys socioeconomic classification (2012) was used to group them by socioeconomic strata. Data was also collected on pattern and type of tobacco use, nicotine addiction, and attitude towards quitting tobacco use and tobacco control policies. Data collected was analysed using SPSS 21 and Epi-info 7 with the use of statistical tests of independence as well as binary logistic regression analysis.
RESULTS: Nicotine dependence was higher in the lower SES groups than higher SES groups. Cigarette smoking prevailed among higher SES groups whereas bidi smoking was higher in lower SES groups. Smokeless tobacco was predominantly used in the lower SES groups. Awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco use was poorer in the low SES groups while the willingness to quit and the number of quit attempts did not differ by SES. More affluent tobacco users reported earlier initiation of tobacco use than those from lower SES groups.
CONCLUSION: SES groups of tobacco users differ in type and pattern of tobacco use, dependence, age of initiation and awareness but not in intention and efforts to quit tobacco.
KEYWORDS: smoking tobacco; smokeless tobacco; nicotine dependence; socioeconomic groups; health disparity.
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