Correlates of Alcohol Consumption and Tobacco Use Among Tea Industry Workers of Assam

Abstract

An epidemiological study on alcohol and tobacco (smoking and nonsmoked tobacco) use was carried out in tea garden population of Assam, one of the largest agroindustries of India. A total sample of 2,264 individuals (male, 1,033; female, 1,231) aged 15 years and older was interviewed in 2002–2003 to collect information about alcohol and tobacco use using a predesigned and pretested questionnaire. Age-adjusted prevalence of alcohol consumption was 59.2% (male, 69.3%; female, 54%). Smoking was more common among males (13.2%) than females (2%). However, use of nonsmoked tobacco was almost as popular among female (71.9%) as among males (75.3%). More than half of the respondents (54.7%) were multiple users of alcohol and tobacco. Prevalence of alcohol consumption, nonsmoked tobacco use, and smoking among the young age group (15–24 years) was 32.2%, 52.5%, and 2.2%, respectively. Prevalence of smoking increased with age, and more than a quarter of males above 54 years were smokers. Similar age trends in the prevalence of alcohol and nonsmoked tobacco was not observed. Sociodemographic correlates, like education, occupation, and marital status, emerged as important predictors of substance uses irrespective of sex. Association of income with substance use was weak in this study, perhaps due to homogeneity of income level. Users of alcohol and tobacco were mostly illiterate, manual workers, and widows/widowers. However, smokers were more common among sedentary worker. Not withstanding the limitations of the study, the findings of the study are useful for planning interventional strategy to control alcohol and tobacco use for better health outcome.

Keywords:

• alcohol use
• manual workers
• noncommunicable diseases
• nonsmoked tobacco use
• predictor
• smoking
• tea garden workers

Additional information

Notes on contributors

G. K. Medhi

G. K. Medhi, M.B.B.S., M.D., graduated from Guwahati Medical College in 1989. Dr. Medhi obtained M.D. degree in Community Medicine from Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh in 2000 and after that he joined the Regional Medical Research Centre (ICMR), N. E. Region, Dibrugarh as Research Officer. He is also trained in methodology of disease burden estimation of community. Dr. Medhi is taking a special interest in the study of disease patterns and substance use behavior of the tea garden community of Assam. He has also done research work on geriatric health problems and substance use patterns. As a researcher he is also involved as a core team member with the mapping and size estimation study of injecting drug users as well as assessment and evaluation study of high risk behaviors of HIV/AIDS in northeastern states of India. He is also involved with the research study for developing sentinel health monitoring centres for risk factor surveillance of noncommunicable diseases in India.

N. C. Hazarika

N. C. Hazarika, M.B.B.S., D.P.H., M.D., graduated from Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh, Assam, in 1970. He obtained D.P.H. from All India Institute of Hygiene and Public Health, Kolkota, West Bengal, India in 1986 and then obtained his M.D. degree in 1993 from Guwahati Medical College in Social and Preventive Medicine. As a researcher he is mainly involved with epidemiological research on Hypertension, CHD and substance abuse, nutrition and vector-borne diseases. He presented a paper on hypertension and CHD in Asia Pacific Conference on Hypertension in Bangkok, Thailand in 2000. He explored some unconventional risk factors of hypertension in tea garden workers of Assam.

J. Mahanta

J. Mahanta, M.B.B.S., M.D., graduated from Guwahati Medical College in 1974. Dr. Mahanta completed his post-graduation in 1979. He is devoted to public health research with a special interest in bacterial and parasitic diseases. He has also taken a special interest in the epidemiology and control of noncommunicable diseases with special reference to the north eastern region of India. He also takes a keen interest in the problem of substance use in this part of the country. He is the key core team member for the study of illicit drug uses in northeast India and involved with research on risk factors study of noncommunicable diseases, including epidemiological research on cancer in this part.