Abstract
Tobacco consumption has become pandemic, and is estimated to have killed 100 million people in the 20th century worldwide. Some 700,000 out of 5.4 million deaths due to tobacco use were from India. The era of global modernization has led to an increase in the involvement of women in tobacco consumption in the low income and middle-income countries. Tobacco consumption by females is known to have grave consequences. To assess: (1) the tobacco use among urban and rural women; (2) the discrepancy in the knowledge, belief and behavior towards tobacco consumption among urban and rural women in Durg-Bhilai Metropolitan, Chhattisgarh, Central India. The study population consisted of 2,000 18-25 year old young women from Durg-Bhilai Metropolitan, Chhattisgarh, Central India, from both urban and rural areas. Data were collected using a pretested, anonymous, extensive face to face interview by a female investigator to assess the tobacco use among women and the discrepancy in the knowledge, belief and behavior towards tobacco consumption among urban and rural individuals. The prevalence of tobacco use was found to be 47.2%. Tobacco consumption among rural women was 54.4% and in urban women was 40%. The majority of the women from urban areas (62.8%) were smokers whilst rural women (77.4%) showed preponderance toward smokeless tobacco use. Urban women had a better knowledge and attitude towards harms from tobacco and its use than the rural women. Women in rural areas had higher odds (1.335) of developing tobacco habit than the urban women. Increased tobacco use by women poses very severe hazards to their health, maternal and child health, and their family health and economic well-being. Due to the remarkably complex Indian picture of female tobacco use, an immediate and compulsory implementation of tobacco control policies laid down by the WHO FCTC is the need of the hour.
Highlights
Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death which is estimated to have killed 100 million people in the 20th century worldwide and could kill 1 billion in the 21st century (Shifalika et al, 2010)
Women and Tobacco Use: Discrepancy in Knowledge and Behavior among Urban and Rural Women in India describing the purpose of the study and individuals’ rights women were recruited from each of the five zones which as study participants was handed to the participants to read. made 1000 women to be selected to form a representative
1000 women from urban areas and 1000 women from rural areas were interviewed to study the urban and rural disparity, as in India, there exists a wide difference in urban and rural areas when compared to socioeconomic status, educational qualifications, quality of life, level of living and the knowledge, attitude, practice and perceptions toward tobacco consumption
Summary
Tobacco is the leading preventable cause of death which is estimated to have killed 100 million people in the 20th century worldwide and could kill 1 billion in the 21st century (Shifalika et al, 2010). About two-thirds of tobacco consumed is in the alternative form such as bidis, chewable tobacco (betel quid, gutkha, mawa and khaini-chewed in the oral cavity and snuff- inhaled through nose and creamy snuff; which is a tobacco paste marketed as dentifrice.), powdered tobacco (Local brands of packed chewing tobacco products) which are considered to be consumed by the people from lower socioeconomic strata of the society (World Health Organization, 1997; Tiwari et al, 2014) Due to these many varieties of tobacco use in India, it emerges as a great public health challenge when compared with. Due to the remarkably complex Indian picture of female tobacco use, an immediate and compulsory implementation of tobacco control policies laid down by the WHO FCTC is the need of the hour
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