Assessment of Prevalence of Tobacco Smoking and its Determinants among the Male Youth of a Selected Rural Community of Burdwan, West Bengal

Tobacco is commonly consumed in the forms of smoking, chewing, snuffing and dipping tobacco. Tobacco had long been in use as an ethnogeny throughout world. Tobacco smoking is a life style related problem which is more common in developed country among the youth. Present study conducted to identify the prevalence, pattern and determinants of tobacco smoking among male youth. A survey approach with descriptive correlational research design was adopted. Data were collected from 100 rural male using questionnaire on tobacco smoking and its determinants. The study reveals that 69% of the participants are smoker and they initiate smoking mainly due to peer’s influence and continued due to addiction. Mean age of initiation of smoking was 14.3 years; the determinants which were significantly associated with tobacco smoking behaviours are father’s educational level (r = - 0.34, ᾱ=0.01, df=90), mother’s educational level(r = -0.93 ᾱ=0.01, df=90), occupation(X 2= 13.17, ᾱ=0.05, df=4), belief related to chutta(X 2= 17.09, ᾱ=0.01, df=2), belief related to bidi(X 2= 20.35, ᾱ=0.01, df=2) and belief related to smokeless tobacco(X 2= 46.01, ᾱ=0.01, df=1), parental history of smoking (X 2= 43.69, ᾱ=0.01, df=1) , psychological factors (r = 0.96, ᾱ=0.01, df=90) , relationship with parents (r = -0.95, ᾱ=0.01, df=90), peer smoking history (r = 0.85, ᾱ=0.01, df=90), proximity to tobacco (r = 0.83, ᾱ=0.01, df=90), money in hand (r = 0.81 ᾱ=0.01, df=90). Tobacco smoking is responsible for substantial proportion of premature deaths in male youth in India, thus the research study is having broad significance especially in rural community.