Prevalence and socio-demographic factors associated with tobacco smoking among adult males in rural Sindh, Pakistan

Document Type

Article

Department

Community Health Sciences

Abstract

This cross-sectional study was undertaken to determine the prevalence of tobacco smoking and to obtain information on socio-demographic factors associated with tobacco smoking among adult males in a rural district of Sindh Province, Pakistan. We used a one-stage cluster sampling frame to identify 411 adult males from the study site. We found a high prevalence, 55% of current smokers among this rural population. The median age of initiation of smoking was 20 years. Awareness of the adverse effects of smoking on lung and heart diseases was 86% and 77%, respectively. Smoking prevalence increased with age and income, and was highest among subjects aged 44 years and above (76%) and with incomes of more than PKR 4000 (72%). The high prevalence of smoking suggests that there is an urgent need for developing intervention plans to address this major public health problem in this region.

Publication (Name of Journal)

The Southeast Asian Journal of Tropical Medicine and Public Health

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