title: Pattern of tobacco use and its correlates among older adults in India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We examined tobacco use pattern and its correlates among older adults.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used data of 9,852 older adults (>=60 years) (men 47% mean age 68 years) collected by the United Nations Population Fund on Ageing from seven Indian states. Logistic regression analysis was used to assess the correlates of tobacco use.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Current use of any form of tobacco was reported by 27.8% (men 37.9%, women 18.8%); 9.2% reported only smoking tobacco, 16.9% smokeless tobacco only and 1.7% used both forms. Alcohol users (OR:5.20, 95% CI:4.06-6.66), men (OR:2.92, CI :2.71-3.47), those reporting lower income (OR:2.74, CI:2.16- 3.46), rural residents (OR 1.34, CI 1.17-1.54) and lower castes (OR:1.29, CI:1.13-1.47) were more likely to use any form of tobacco compared to their counterparts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tobacco cessation interventions are warranted in this population focusing on alcohol users, men, those from lower income, rural residents and those belonging to a lower caste.
authors.affiliation: Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Trivandrum, India E-mail : minisureshkumar@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Mini
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Sarma
authors.forename: K R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Thankappan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty; D015995:Prevalence; D011379:Prognosis; D012424:Rural Population; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D064424:Tobacco Use / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014030:Tobacco, Smokeless