Tobacco Use, Its Correlates and Knowledge about Its Hazards in Belgaum Urban, Karnataka

Abstract

Background: Owing to the presence of impressionable, curious minds, adolescents are highly prone to experiment with tobacco which increases the risk of addicting to tobacco and thus of disease and death. This study was conducted to know the factors associated with tobacco consumption and knowledge related to health hazards in an urban area. Methodology: This descriptive cross-sectional study was done in urban area of Belgaum during July to December 2011. Sample size was calculated to be 238 and subjects were interviewed from randomly chosen anganwadis of all the wards of UHTC. Results: Among the tobacco users, 10.29 % had initiated the habit before the age of 18 years. All the 28 consumers above the age group of 50 were consuming tobacco from more than 10 years while 24 of those between 30-49 years were consuming from more than 10 years. Among 68 current users, 8 had attempted to quit tobacco. Almost 90 % of the tobacco users knew that tobacco causes cancers. Conclusions: Association between increase in age and duration of use was highly significant. Curiosity or fun and peer pressure were the most common reasons for tobacco initiation.

Keywords

• Onset of tobacco
• tobacco use
• tobacco quit attempts
• health hazard