A Cross Sectional Study on the Risk Perceptions and Barriers towards Smoking Cessation in a Rural Setting in Goa

Tobacco use is the leading single preventable cause of death worldwide. Every tenth adult in India currently smokes tobacco. India, in particular, grapples with a high prevalence of NCDs, surpassing previous estimations. Smoking being a well-established risk factor for NCDs it is important now more than ever to address this issue with a greater aim to alleviate the burden of NCDs in India. The study was conducted among 200 adult current cigarette smokers. Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine dependence and PHQ-9 to assess the mental health status were used. Nicotine dependence was present in 52.5% of the study participants. 152 (76%) of the study participants reported their willingness to quit smoking. The majority reported a lack of self-control and factors related to nicotine dependence as a barrier to smoking cessation. 76% of the participants had depression. A significant association was noted between nicotine dependence and depression. Current willingness for smoking cessation was found to be significant in the younger age group. A total of 74.3% of participants who were nicotine-dependent were willing to quit smoking. Individuals who had previously attempted to quit smoking were 2.7 times more likely to express a current willingness to quit. A significant proportion of current smokers are willing to quit smoking, but face multiple barriers. The younger age group and depression status were found to be significantly associated with willingness to quit. Past attempts to quit emerged as a strong predictor of current cessation intentions.