| ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2015 | Volume
: 13
| Issue : 1 | Page : 24-29 |
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Prevalence of tobacco use among 15-20 years old college students in Bengaluru city
Vasudha Sharma1, SS Hiremath2, Manjunath Puranik3, Shweta Somasundara1
1 Department of Public Health Dentistry, Rajarajeswari Dental College and Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
2 Department of Public Health Dentistry, Oxford Dental College and Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
3 Department of Public Health Dentistry, Government Dental College and Research Institute Dental College and Hospital, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Vasudha Sharma
Department of Public Health Dentistry, Rajarajeswari Dental College and Hospital, No. 207, Kambipura, Kumbal Godu, Mysore Road, Bengaluru, Karnataka
India
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/2319-5932.153560
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Introduction: Tobacco use in children and adolescents is reaching pandemic levels. The World Health Organization predicts that India will have the fastest rate of rise in deaths attributable to tobacco in the productive years of adult life, as a consequence of an addiction acquired in youth. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire study based on global youth tobacco survey was undertaken to study the prevalence of tobacco use among 15-20 years old college students. A simple random sampling method was used to select the students from Government and Private schools and Colleges in Bengaluru city. Results: In the study population of 2399 in the age group of 15-20 years, 307 (12.8%) subjects reported use of cigarettes among whom 176 (7.3%) reported current use and 240 (10%) reported ever use of smokeless tobacco. Majority 226 (73.6%) belonged to private institutions and 81 (26.4%) to government institutions. About 41 (1.7%) were daily smokers. Conclusion: Prevalence of smoking was much higher among the private institution students as opposed to students of government institutions; also, it was observed that the percentage of smokeless tobacco users were higher in this age group when compared to cigarette smokers. |
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