Background: Addiction to tobacco in the form of tobacco smoking or chewing is very common in every age group in India; elderly people are no exception. They are more likely to suffer adverse effects of tobacco, but are unaware of its side effects and also unwilling to quit.
Aims & Objective: To find out knowledge, attitude and practices of tobacco use in geriatric population.
Materials and Methods: This was a Community based, Cross-sectional study including 250 study subjects above the age of 60 years in the urban field practice area of Shri Vasantrao Naik Government Medical College. Subjects were interviewed for knowledge, attitude and practices about tobacco use.
Results: 110 out of 113 males (97.34%) and 111 out of 137 females (81.02%) females knew that tobacco is injurious to health. Still 125 (50%) of the study subjects were using tobacco either by smoking or tobacco chewing. Overall 34 (13.6%, 95% CI= 9.3-17.9) and 91 (36.4%, 95%CI=30.5-42.3) out of 250 study subjects were smoker and tobacco chewers respectively. Though knowledge of harmful effects was significantly more in males (²=16.09, P=0.0001), prevalence of use was also more in males. Knowledge of anti-tobacco was significantly more in males as compared to females (²=16.34, P=0.0001).
Conclusion: More than half of males and quarter of females were using tobacco.
Key words: Tobacco Use; Geriatric Population; Tobacco Chewing; Tobacco Prohibition
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