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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · South Asian J Cancer 2014; 03(04): 200-202
DOI: 10.4103/2278-330X.142958
TABACCO, THE MENACE : Original Article

Smoking trends among women in India: Analysis of nationally representative surveys (1993–2009)

Sonu Goel
Department of Community Medicine, School of Public Health, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh
,
Jaya Prasad Tripathy
Department of Community Medicine, School of Public Health, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh
,
Rana J. Singh
The Union South East Asia, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union)
,
Pranay Lal
The Union South East Asia, International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union)
› Author Affiliations Source of Support: Nil.
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Abstract

Background: There is growing concern among policy makers with respect to alarming growth in smoking prevalence among women in the developing countries. Methods: Using disaggregated data from five nationally representative surveys: Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2010, National Family Health Survey-III (NFHS-III) 2004-2005, NFHS-II 1998-1999, National Sample Survey (NSS) 52 nd Round 1995-1996, NSS 50 th Round 1993-1994 we analysed female smoking trend from 1993-2009. Tobacco use among females was monitored for almost two decades focusing on gender, literacy, and state-specific trends among respondents aged >15 years. Results: Smoking use among women has doubled from 1.4% to 2.9% (P < 0.001) during the period 2005-2010. The prevalence of smoking increased with decrease in per capita State Gross Domestic Product and literacy status for both men and women. Conclusion: As the overall smoking prevalence grows, female smoking is growing at a faster rate than smoking among males, which is an emerging concern for tobacco control in India and requires the attention of policymakers.

Key words

Female smoking - India - Global Adult Tobacco Survey


Publication History

Article published online:
31 December 2020

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