Social disparities in tobacco use in Mumbai, India: the roles of occupation, education, and gender.
OBJECTIVE
We assessed social disparities in the prevalence of overall tobacco use, smoking, and smokeless tobacco use in Mumbai, India, by examining occupation-, education-, and gender-specific patterns.


METHODS
Data were derived from a cross-sectional survey conducted between 1992 and 1994 as the baseline for the Mumbai Cohort Study (n=81837).


RESULTS
Odds ratios (ORs) for overall tobacco use according to education level (after adjustment for age and occupation) showed a strong gradient; risks were higher among illiterate participants (male OR = 7.38, female OR = 20.95) than among college educated participants. After age and education had been controlled, odds of tobacco use were also significant according to occupation; unskilled male workers (OR = 1.66), male service workers (OR = 1.32), and unemployed individuals (male OR = 1.84, female OR = 1.95) were more at risk than professionals. The steepest education- and occupation-specific gradients were observed among male bidi smokers and female smokeless tobacco users.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study indicate that education and occupation have important simultaneous and independent relationships with tobacco use that require attention from policymakers and researchers alike.
Sorensen
Glorian
G
Center for Community-Based Research, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Department of Society, Human Development, and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA 02115, USA. glorian_sorensen@dfci.harvard.edu
Gupta
Prakash C
PC
Pednekar
Mangesh S
MS
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009790:Occupations; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014505:Urban Population