Smokeless tobacco use in adult Nigerian population

Abstract

The study aim was to establish the prevalence and determinants of smokeless tobacco use in Nigerian adults' population.
Across-sectional survey of 1776 adults inYola, North-East Nigeria was carried out in June 2007.A modified World Health Organization (WHO) tobacco survey questionnaire was used for interview and data
collection. Out of 1776 interviewed respondents, 133 (7.49%) were user of smokeless tobacco. Snuffing of tobacco powder was the most common method of using smokeless tobacco (6.8%). Fifteen (0.9%) chewed
tobacco while only 2(0.1%) both chewed and snuffed tobacco. Social acceptance (21.8%) was the major reason for using smokeless tobacco. Males, 5th and 6th decades of life, poor education, lower socioeconomic class, Margi, Hausa and Fulani tribes were the determinants of smokeless tobacco use.About 89.5% of the smokeless tobacco users believed that smokeless tobacco was not harmful to their health. : Although the prevalence of smokeless tobacco use was low among Nigerian adult population in this study. Ignorance of the potential health dangers of smokeless tobacco was rampant therefore; concerted efforts should be made to discourage the use of all forms of tobacco rather than concentrating on cigarette smoking.