Tobacco Use, Body Mass Index, Potentially Malignant Disorder and Attitude towards Passive Smoking in a Primary Health Centre – A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Background and Objective: Primary health center (PHC) settings offer opportunities for tobacco use screening and brief cessation advice. The purpose of this study was to ascertain how thoroughly participants were screened for premalignant lesions associated with smoking and smokeless tobacco use, as well as how closely these lesions correlated with body mass index (BMI). Methods: In a PHC, 150 participants aged 18 and above participated in this cross-sectional study. During the study period, tobacco consumption was habitual for 128 males and 22 females at the PHC. The interviewer gathered information to document the subjects’ history of tobacco use, general demographics, and opinions regarding passive smoking through the administration of a questionnaire. Each participant received an oral assessment. The Chi-square statistics were used for data analysis. Results: In all of the 150 participants, 20 were smokers, and 32 adopted both smokeless and smoked tobacco. Premalignant disorders with a duration of more than 10 years were more commonly observed in the age range of 36 to 50 years. When the frequency was analyzed, 47% of lesions had consumption between one and five times per day and 71% of robust indications had daily consumption between six and ten times per day. Conclusion: According to the findings, there is no conclusive evidence linking a lesion to BMI, and despite their awareness of passive smoking, these individuals continue to smoke in front of their family members and children.

Keywords

• body mass index
• premalignant disorders
• tobacco cessation