A population-based study on tobacco consumption in urban slums: Its prevalence, pattern, and determinants

India suffers from a huge burden of substance abuse and associated morbidity and mortality. Among all substance use, tobacco consumption is the most common and yet the most widely accepted one. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of tobacco consumption, to find out the type of tobacco products used and to assess the factors influencing tobacco consumption in the slums of Shillong city.

A cross-sectional, community-based study was carried out in 330 respondents aged 15 and above. Chi-square test was used to compare proportions, and Student's t-test was used to compare groups for continuous variables.

The prevalence of current tobacco consumption was found to be 73.9%, and the rate of quitting was found to be 4.3%. The prevalence of tobacco consumption was observed to be higher in males (52.4%) compared to 21.5% in females. Highly significant statistical association was observed between tobacco consumption and age, gender, and occupation. The statistical association between tobacco consumption and religion and education was found to be statistically significant. Ever use of tobacco in any form as well as smokeless form peaked in 24-34 years, while smoking was more prevalent among 15-24 year olds. The prevalence of smokeless tobacco was higher (47.5%) as compared to the prevalence of smoking (28.2%), closely followed by dual use (24.3%). The most popular smoked and smokeless forms were found to be cigarettes and khaini, respectively.

Tobacco consumption was found to be highly prevalent and was much higher than the national average hinting toward its association with higher incidence of various malignancies in the region and calling for immediate action toward propelling its prevention and control by all stakeholders.