Characteristics of Current Betel Quid/Chewing Tobacco Users, Smokers and Dual Users in Indonesia: An Analysis of GATS 2011 Data

Abstract

Background: Indonesia has the third largest population of smokers in the world, however, little is known about the use of chewing tobacco/betel quid in Indonesia. This paper describes the characteristics of chewing tobacco/betel quid users in Indonesia, to understand the user population and inform future research. Methods: The 2011 Indonesia GATS included 8,176 adults ages 15 and older. These data are weighted to be nationally representative. Weighted descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression were run using SAS 9.4. Results: Estimated national prevalence for exclusive chewing tobacco/betel quid use was 0.9%, for exclusive smoked tobacco use was 33.9% and for dual use was 0.8%. Multivariate logistic regression analyses showed that exclusive chewing tobacco/betel quid users were significantly more likely to be female, and to be older adults (45-64); while smokers are more likely to be male and younger (25-44). Conclusions/Importance: These results provide information on the different characteristics of users by product type, and show that users’ demographics vary by their product of choice. This study helps to inform researchers and practitioners of the burden of chewing tobacco/betel quid use in Indonesia. These data, especially specific data on chewing tobacco/betel quid use patterns, are limited in this context, and this knowledge can help to identify populations who need quit tobacco interventions.

Keywords:

• Smokeless tobacco
• global tobacco
• dual use