Assessment of the Prevalence and Relationship of Tobacco Use and Associated Oral Lesions in an Urban Population of New Delhi: a Cross-Sectional Study

Oral cancer is among the most common cancers in India. Tobacco, its primary risk factor, is widely consumed across the country, in both smoked and smokeless forms. The current study assessed the prevalence of tobacco use and associated oral lesions in a section of the New Delhi population. Population-based cross-sectional survey was used. House visits in urban Delhi within 15 km radius of a tertiary care teaching hospital were conducted. The basic demographic details, tobacco and alcohol history (on a standardized questionnaire) were elicited from 71,022 individuals, followed by an oral examination (inspection and digital palpation) for detecting oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and oral cancer. Ever tobacco users comprised 22.2% while 16.1% of individuals were current tobacco users; tobacco use was higher among men than women. Bidi was the most commonly used smoked tobacco product (both genders). Regarding smokeless tobacco, gutkha and khaini use was common among men, while the majority of women consumed betel quid with tobacco. Alcohol use was found in 4% of individuals. OPMDs were detected in 3.4% of individuals. Tobacco abuse is very common in our urban community. Community-based oral health education and oral checkup by trained health care workers should be carried out to reduce the burden of tobacco use and ill effects of tobacco.