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Tobacco use habit is generally viewed as a sole responsibility of an individual, and the entire onus of being or not being a tobacco user is put on the individual himself or herself. But no man lives in isolation and his behavior is constantly determined by various social dynamics surrounding him since his birth and constantly exerting pressures on him. The article is a secondary data analysis of Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) India 2016-2017 having a sample size of 74,037 adults aged greater than 15 years. The smoking and smokeless tobacco use behavior of individuals is studied as a dependent variable in relation to their sociodemographic characteristics (age group, gender, residence, marital status, caste, religion, education, occupation, and material deprivation). A material deprivation index was created and was analyzed in relation to tobacco use habits. The results have shown all these independent variables as very significant determinants of tobacco use (smoking or smokeless) behavior. In India, males are more likely to use tobacco, as compared with females. Also individuals in rural areas are more likely to use tobacco as compared with urban areas. Individuals with no formal education are more likely to use tobacco (smoking or smokeless) as compared with individuals with various levels of education. Moreover, higher the educational levels of individuals, lower the likelihood of using tobacco by them in any form. Material deprivation has also emerged as a strong determinant of tobacco use where higher the levels of material deprivation, more likely individuals were to use tobacco in any form. To conclude, sociodemographic characteristics of individuals as age group, gender, residence, marital status, caste, religion, education, occupation, and material deprivations are major social determinants of tobacco use habit including both smoking and smokeless forms of tobacco use.
Rohini Ruhil (Mon,) studied this question.