Abstract Background: Tobacco use remains a critical public health challenge in India, with Mumbai reporting significant rates of smokeless tobacco use and smoking. Occupational and sociodemographic factors influencing continued tobacco use versus successful cessation are underexplored. Objectives: To analyze the sociodemographic and occupational factors influencing the continued use of tobacco compared with successful cessation among individuals attending a tertiary care institution in Mumbai. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted over 18 months at a tertiary care institute in Mumbai. Participants included 124 adults (93 current users, 31 successful quitters) recruited from General and De-addiction out-patient departments. Data were collected using a pretested Global Adult Tobacco Survey questionnaire and analyzed via SPSS v17, employing Chi-square tests, logistic regression, and Mann–Whitney U tests. Results: Among the 124 respondents, 60.5% were aged 26–45 years, and 82.3% were male. A significant proportion (74.2%) was unskilled manual workers, with 66.3% engaged in irregular jobs. Significant associations were found between current tobacco use and irregular job patterns ( P = 0.02), longer travel times to work ( P = 0.005), and extended working hours ( P = 0.022). The majority (94.2%) reported tobacco use during work breaks. Conclusions: The findings indicate that occupational stressors such as irregular employment, long working hours, and extended commuting time are strongly linked to continued tobacco use. Targeted workplace-based interventions and awareness programs may enhance cessation outcomes and reduce tobacco-related health risks.
Chavan et al. (Thu,) studied this question.