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Background: Use of tobacco, especially smokeless tobacco have characterised as highly prevalent among women, and also the mode of using smokeless tobacco varies based on geographic location, ingredient availability, cultural/societal norms, and personal preferences. Therefore, this study examines the prevalence and social determinants of use of smokeless tobacco among women in NE India. Further, it also identifies the cluster and district hotspots of smokeless tobacco prevalence. Methods: We analysed a nationally representative data of NFHS-4, covering 93,409 eligible women aged 15-49 years from a survey of representative households from NE states, India. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, binary logistic and log-binomial regression were employed to analyse the data by using STATA software 13.1. Spatial clustering analysis and hotspot analysis were carried out using R-library. Findings: The prevalence of SLT use among women in NE states, India is 23%. Mizoram (47.8 ± 1.2) shows the highest prevalence of SLT use, followed by Manipur (46.1 ± 0.7). It increases concomitantly with age among women. Social determinants like marital status (divorced/widowed), low educational level and residence (urban) were observed to be associated with smokeless tobacco use. Out of the 4032 clusters used in the analysis, 949 clusters were showed as hotspots. Conclusion:The existing implementation of tobacco control programs and policies in the NE states needs to be evaluated. Owing to the geographical barriers and cultural differences, there is a need to explore the influences unique to these regions, which can further strengthen tobacco control measures. Targeted and tailored intervention within the identified hotspots can be beneficial.

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COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruptions in carrying out research activities in the field. The established methods of data collection for both qualitative and quantitative research could not be implemented. Researchers worldwide adopted contactless data collection methods, including the use of mobile phones for research purposes. This paper presents the experiences of conducting interviews among tribal population using mobile phones in three villages of Manipur during the pandemic. The interviews proved to be successful and effective. Minor technical glitches were a challenge but were not significant to affect the quality of the data. During unprecedented times such as the current pandemic, conducting interviews via mobile phones could be a viable alternative to face-to-face interviews for collecting qualitative data from the communities.