Epidemiological study of alcohol and tobacco consumption among adults in a rural population of Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India

Siraj Ahmad; Mukesh Shukla

Volume : VI, Issue : V, May - 2017

Epidemiological study of alcohol and tobacco consumption among adults in a rural population of Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India

Siraj Ahmad, Mukesh Shukla

Abstract :

Background: The increasing consumption of tobacco and alcohol is leading to a surge in prevalence of cardiovascular diseases as well as hepatic morbidities in India. Also, high consumption of alcohol and tobacco has harmful social and economic consequences. Objectives: The present cross–sectional study was therefore undertaken to estimate the prevalence of tobacco and alcohol consumption among adults in a rural population and ascertain the factors associated with it. Materials &Methods: A cross–sectional study was conducted in field practice area of Rural Health and Training Centre (RHTC) Satrik, Barabanki and a total 796 study subjects were enrolled via multistage sampling. Details about personal habits like smoking, consumption of smokeless tobacco and alcohol intake was collected using a pre–designed, pre–tested semi structured questionnaire. Data about basic socio–demographic information was collected and cross checked with the data base available at RHTC. Results: The proportion of individuals with smoking, tobacco chewing, alcohol consumption & combined use of smoking and alcohol were 6.7%, 22.8%, 4.02% and 13.5% respectively. The association between type of addiction with age–group, gender, religion, caste, type of family, marital status, educational status, type of occupation and socio–economic status was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: Low prevalence of tobacco and alcohol was found in the present study. But in spite of that community based comprehensive strategies must be implemented so as to keep a check over it and prevent its transformation into an epidemic.