Prevalence and pattern of tobacco related habits among the college students of Satara district

Abstract

Introduction: Tobacco use is a leading cause of preventable deaths worldwide, more so in developing countries like India. Tobacco consumption in various forms has been an integral part of Indian culture since many decades. Since few years, the vices of tobacco consumption have come to the forefront in various populations across the world. Aims: To evaluate the prevalence and pattern of tobacco related habits and also reasons for the initiation of tobacco use among the college students in Satara district. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among the selected college students in Western Maharashtra. List of colleges in Western Maharashtra was obtained and permission to conduct the study was obtained from randomly selected colleges. A standardized questionnaire (Global Youth Tobacco Survey) regarding the tobacco related habits use was administered to the study subjects. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS Ver 20.0 with P < 0.05. Results: Of the total sample of 500 subjects of age group 18-25 years, 65% were males and 35% females. The prevalence of tobacco was found to be 47.2% with 44.2% among boys and 3% among girls. Association between father′s and friend′s tobacco habits was observed. Conclusions: The prevalence of self-reported tobacco consumption was substantial among the college going students of Satara district.

Keywords

• Adolescent
• pattern of tobacco
• prevalence
• tobacco