Prevalence and predictors of tobacco use among currently married pregnant women in India

Abstract

Tobacco use during pregnancy has harmful consequences both to the women and their fetuses. There is a lack of national-level information on the prevalence and predictors of tobacco use among pregnant women in India. This study fills this gap by investigating the prevalence and predictors of tobacco use among currently married pregnant women in India. METHODS Unit level data from the fourth National Family Health Survey, conducted in India during 2015–2016, were used in this study. Logistic regression analyses were performed to identify independent factors associated with tobacco use. RESULTS Our results suggest the prevalence of tobacco use among currently married pregnant women in India is 4.6% (95% CI: 4.3–5.1), and more than 80% of pregnant tobacco users use tobacco in the smokeless form only. Age of woman, region of residence, education level, religion, caste, wealth quintile, frequency of watching television were the independent predictors of tobacco use among currently married pregnant women in India. In general, lower socioeconomic status is positively associated with tobacco use among them. CONCLUSIONS Around 4.6% of pregnant women in India use tobacco, and the smokeless form of tobacco use is predominant among pregnant tobacco users. Socioeconomic disadvantage is positively associated with tobacco use among pregnant women in India. The findings of the present study need to be used to reduce tobacco use among pregnant women in the country by identifying subpopulations at risk, and sensitizing them to the harmful consequences of tobacco use, by offering tobacco cessation services during prenatal checkups.