COMPARATIVE
STUDY OF TOBACCO HABITS IN WOMEN AND CHILDREN - RURAL AND URBAN SCENARIO
Ms. Elizabeth Cherian
Lakeside Institute of Nursing & Medical Technology, Bangalore,
India
Objective: Our aim was to find out the prevalence
of smoking habits in children and women in urban and rural areas and the
social causes attributed to the habit.
Methods: A questionnaire survey in 3978 school children
and 1778 women was done, where age, brand, reason, economic status, family
history, source, number per day and other associated habits were evaluated.
Results: Among 3978 urban children 1647 (41.4 %) and
2196 rural children 480 (21.86 %) smoked their first cigarette between the
age of 10 - 17 years. Among women studied urban - 456, 166 (36.2 %) and
rural 866 out of them 18 (2 %) are smokers. In the age group of 10 - 12
years, 17.89 % of rural children and 37.2 % of urban children smoked their
first cigarette. Pear pressure, fashion, frustration, curiosity and status
symbol are the predominant reasons for smoking in children. In women, the
social status, pressure of friends, good past time while playing cards,
increasing concentration, decreasing tension are the quoted reasons.
Conclusions: It is clear that the smoking habits are
increasing as the age advances and urban children starts smoking earlier
than rural children but by the age of 15 - 17 years rural children overtake
the urban children.
Women in social clubs
have higher prevalence of smoking than rural folks with pseudo status
symbol. It is essential that aggressive, persistent continuing education
against tobacco smoking is a must to curb the habit.