Abstract
The Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) was carried out for systematically monitoring tobacco use and for tracking key tobacco control indicators. A total of 70,802 households, including 42,647 in rural areas and 28,155 in urban areas, were covered with a three stage sampling design. Data were collected on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude and practices of tobacco consumption. GATS-India highlighted that total tobacco use among its residents is overall 34.6%, varying for males (47.9%) and females (20.7%). The rural areas of the country exhibit comparatively higher prevalence rates (38.4%) in comparison to urban areas (25.3%). Overall, Khaini, a smokeless tobacco product (12.0%), is the most popular form of tobacco use among males and females, followed by bidi smoking (9.0%). Results of GATS data can be used as baseline for evaluation of new tobacco control approaches in India integrating culturally acceptable and cost effective measures.
Highlights
Tobacco is the most accessible legally available addictive substance which contributes significantly to premature death and long term suffering, being a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, cancers, reproductive outcomes and oral diseases (Sauvaget et al, 2008; Zarocotas, 2011; Sarkar and Reddy, 2012).In addition, one third of the global burden of oral cancer is predominantly attributed to high prevalence of tobacco consumption within India (Byakodi et al, 2012; Gupta et al, 2013)
Data were collected on sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude and practices of tobacco consumption.Results: Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS)-India highlighted that total tobacco use among its residents is overall 34.6%, varying for males (47.9%) and females (20.7%)
The GATS-India study is unique in the fact that it has estimated globally accepted key tobacco indicators for the first time in India using standardised techniques of Global Adult Tobacco Survey
Summary
Tobacco is the most accessible legally available addictive substance which contributes significantly to premature death and long term suffering, being a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, cancers, reproductive outcomes and oral diseases (Sauvaget et al, 2008; Zarocotas, 2011; Sarkar and Reddy, 2012).In addition, one third of the global burden of oral cancer is predominantly attributed to high prevalence of tobacco consumption within India (Byakodi et al, 2012; Gupta et al, 2013). The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, designated the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, as the nodal agency for conducting GATS in India in 2009-2010 with technical assistance from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Research Triangle Institute International (GATS-India, 2009). It was a representative household survey of all non institutionalized men and women above the age of 15years and was carried out to produce internationally comparable data on tobacco use and other tobacco control indicators. Conclusion: Results of GATS data can be used as baseline for evaluation of new tobacco control approaches in India integrating culturally acceptable and cost effective measures
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