Tobacco use among South Asians: results of a community-university collaborative study

Although South Asians (individuals from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives) are the third largest Asian group in the USA, relatively little data are available to document their use of tobacco. We collected data from a community sample of 344 South Asian adults to assess rates of smokeless tobacco product use and smoking and examine demographic predictors of use.

Non-random sample; cross-sectional survey.

Close to a third of the sample (28%) reported current use of smokeless tobacco products. In multivariate analyses, gender and ethnicity were significant predictors of use of smokeless tobacco products. Men and Bangladeshis were more likely to use smokeless tobacco. The overall rate of daily cigarette/bidi smoking observed in our sample (9%) was similar to that observed in the population of California (10%); however, the rates among men (19%) and some ethnic subgroups (16% for Pakistanis) were significantly higher. Gender, ethnicity and years in the USA emerged as significant predictors of daily smoking with men and Pakistanis being significantly more likely to smoke. Length of stay in the USA was inversely related to daily smoking.

These findings emphasize the need to disaggregate data for South Asians and suggest that tobacco control interventions should target specific segments of the population (men, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis). Interventions to decrease use of smokeless tobacco products are especially warranted for South Asians.