Knowledge and attitude of South-Indian smokers towards smoking associated health risk

Abstract

Abstract Aim: To assess the knowledge and attitude of South-Indian smokers towards health effects of smoking and their intentions to quit. Study design: A cross sectional questionnaire based survey was conducted among 550 smokers hailing from South India who reported to the out-patient department of the dental hospital. Results: Highest incidence of smoking in men was seen in those who received moderate level of education and those residing in rural areas. In female smokers, the highest incidence was seen in those residing in urban areas (53.8%) with a high level of education (38.4%). We found that males continued their habit mainly to destress while females used it to socialize. Majority of the participants were aware that smoking causes a host of problems in the oral cavity and 68.18% were aware that passive smoking was injurious to the body. Most of the responders admitted to having observed warnings on tobacco products and were willing to quit the habit with help from their dentists. Conclusion: Smokers are at risk for various diseases that include the cardiovascular, respiratory and reproductive systems as well as the oral cavity. This study sheds light on the level of awareness among current tobacco users and the areas of deficiency in patient education which should be addressed by clinicians.