Open AccessTobacco abuse among school going adolescents in a rural area of West Bengal, India
Author(s) -
Anindya Mukherjee,
Abhik Sinha,
Pranita Taraphdar,
Gandhari Basu,
Debadatta Chakrabarty
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
indian journal of public health/indian journal of public health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.381
H-Index - 26
eISSN - 2229-7693
pISSN - 0019-557X
DOI - 10.4103/0019-557x.106416
Subject(s) - smokeless tobacco , west bengal , tobacco use , environmental health , medicine , rural area , substance abuse , socioeconomics , population , psychiatry , pathology , sociology
Adolescents are vulnerable targets of tobacco industry with all consequences of usage. Studies reveal that tobacco abuse is rising in this age group in India. A cross sectional survey was carried out in two coeducational high schools of Anandanagar village of Singur block, Hooghly district, West Bengal among 276 students of VIII-IX standard to study the knowledge and abuse of tobacco and to find out influencing socio-demographic factors. Knowledge score was higher in females, students from nuclear families, and those with literate parents. Low prevalence of tobacco intake was obtained among the students, with 9.8% reported having ever used smokeless tobacco and 4.3% ever smoked. Tobacco intake was higher among those with a history of parental tobacco intake. Continued information education and communication (IEC) activities should be conducted by the school authorities, with involvement of nongovernment organizations (NGOs) and parents for primary prevention.