Prevalence of Tobacco Habits and Attitude toward Its Cessation among Outpatients of Mahatma Gandhi Mission's Dental College and Hospital, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra

Abstract

Background Information regarding the tobacco habits in patients visiting Mahatma Gandhi Mission's (MGM) Dental College and Hospital is scarce. Therefore, development and better implementation of the tobacco cessation initiatives can be undertaken with the knowledge of the tobacco use among patients. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional, questionnairebased study was conducted among the outpatients of MGM Dental College and Hospital from July to September, 2012. Questions regarding the form of tobacco used, frequency, duration and attitude toward stopping its consumption were asked. Statistical analysis was carried out using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests using Statistical Software package (SPSS) version 17. Results 314/505 (62.1%) of the patients reported of tobacco use. Majority 162/314 (51.6%) of the patients used smokeless tobacco in which mishri and gutkha were mostly consumed. Work pressure was the common 100/314 (31.8%) cause of tobacco use. More than half the patients had tried to quit the habit and showed awareness toward its adverse effects on oral and general health. Conclusion Tobacco use has become an important concern due to its growing addiction among all age groups and gender. It is imperative to understand the psychosocial ideology and pattern of tobacco use among the patients in order to effectively counsel and motivate them to stop the habit. How to cite this article Hussain JSA, Ram SM. Prevalence of Tobacco Habits and Attitude toward Its Cessation among Outpatients of Mahatma Gandhi Mission's Dental College and Hospital, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra. J Contemp Dent 2013; 3(2):57-60.

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