Socioeconomic inequality among smoking and smokeless tobacco uses among males in India: a decomposition analysis

Objective: India is the third-largest tobacco manufacturer and its use in India is characterised by a high prevalence of smoking and smokeless (sl) tobacco use. This results in 1 million deaths per year in the country. Given the high burden of tobacco use, this study examines the regional variations and socioeconomic correlates of tobacco use in India. Methods: National Family Health Survey- 5 (2019-2020) have been analysed for the purpose of the study. A sample of 101,839 males aged 15-54 years was included in this study. Primary outcomes of tobacco use were categorised into smoking, smokeless and dual use of smoking and smokeless tobacco use. Bivariate analysis and decomposition analysis was done to study the socio-economic inequality. Results: The prevalence of tobacco use among males in India is around 41 percent. As indicated by the results of the logistics regression, age is positively related to smoking among males. Males aged 45-54 years are 2.5 (95 % concentration index [CI]:2.30-2.63) times probable to smoke, 1.4 (95% CI: 1.30-1.47) times probable of smokeless tobacco consumption and 2.2 (95% CI: 2.10-2.35) times more prone to using both types of substances compared to the younger age group. Males who are widower use smokeless 1.69 times (95% CI: 1.44-1.99) higher with reference to unmarried males. Males belonging to Scheduled tribes are 1.2 (95% CI: 1.13-1.25) times more likely to smoke, 1.3 (95% CI: 1.24-1.37) times more likely to use smokeless substances and 1.4 (95% CI: 1.33-1.47) times more likely to have dual use of tobacco than other social groups. Manual workers (both skilled are unskilled) are likely to smoke (odds ratio [OR] = 1.1, 95% CI: 1.02-1.11), use smokeless tobacco (OR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.23-1.34) and have dual use of tobacco (OR = 1.29, 95% CI: 1.24-1.34) more than that of other categories. The decomposition of the concentration index shows a significant contribution from factors like a no education, ST/SC caste and wealth index. Among the states and union territories, the prevalence of tobacco is high in West Bengal, Tripura, Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya and Sikkim. Conclusion: This study is useful for informing target-based prevention policies since it helps in highlighting regions, socio-economic and demographic groups especially vulnerable to tobacco addiction. In India, males from poorer and vulnerable socio-economic backgrounds are more likely to use tobacco. State wise, the eastern zone starting from West Bengal to the North -Eastern states have higher tobacco use than the rest of the country. There is an urgent need to frame policies for controlling the use of tobacco especially among high-risk groups. (c) 2023 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.