Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access
Open Access Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Restricted Access Subscription Access

Prevalence and Type of Tobacco Habits and Tobacco Related Oral Lesions among Wayanad Tribes, Kerala, India


Affiliations
1 Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Kannur Dental College & Hospital Kerala, 670612, India
2 Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Yenepoya Dental College and Hospital, Karnataka, India
     

   Subscribe/Renew Journal


Background: A positive correlation exists between tobacco habit and education&socio-economic status of individuals. The baseline study revealed that, Wayanad tribal population being a community which is falling behind the rest of population of Kerala in terms of literacy, income and health, spend a significant portion of their income on tobacco. As there is no information about actual prevalence of tobacco habits and related oral mucosal lesions, the present study was designed to record the related details.

Methodology: Total of 523 individuals belonging to the age group 10-80 years were selected randomly from different tribal groups of Wayanad district of Kerala. Selected individuals were personally interviewed in local language and subsequently oral examination was carried out to note the details. Results obtained were analysed statistically.

Results: Out of 523 participants, 445 (85.1%) were consuming tobacco in one form or other. 91.3% of tobacco users were males and 79.3% females with relatively equal distribution among different communities. Different types of habits observed were chewing, smoking and Snuff of which chewing was found to be more prevalent (60.1%). Various tobacco related oral mucosal lesions observed among the study populations were Leukoplakia 93 (17.8%), Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) 38 (7.2%), Oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC) 2(0.4%), and Chewers mucosa 61 (11.7%).

Conclusion: Prevalence of tobacco habits and related oral mucosal lesions are high among the tribes of Wayanad. Their ignorance about the adverse effect of tobacco is highly alarming and special attention from government and health professionals is required for improving the health awareness and welfare of this tribal community.


Keywords

Tobacco Habits, Tobacco Related Oral Lesions, Wayanad Tribes
Subscription Login to verify subscription
User
Notifications
Font Size


  • Rajagopalan CR. The native knowledge of Kerala. Altermedia-Thrissur 1995.

  • Neville BW. Oral Cancer and Precancerous Lesions. Cancer J Clin 2002; 52: 195-215.

  • Hecht SS. Tobacco carcinogens, their biomarkers and tobacco-induced cancer. Nature Rev Cancer 2003; 3: 733-744.

  • Sankaranarayanan R, Masuyer E, Swaminathan R, Ferlay J and Whelan S, et al. Head and neck cancer: A global prospective on epidemiology and prognosis. Anticancer Res 1998; 18(6b): 4779-86.

  • Dye BA, Tan S, Smith V, Lewis BG, Barker LK, Thornton-Evans G, et al. National Center for Health Statistics. Trends in oral health status: United States, 1988–1994 and 1999–2004.

  • Hyattsville. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2007.

  • Reddy SK, Gupta PC. Report on Tobacco Control in India, 25 November 2004, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, NirmanBhawan, Maulana Azad Road, New Delhi 110011, India.

  • Trivedy CR, Craig G, Warnakulasuriya S. The Oral Health Consequences of Chewing Areca Nut. Addiction Biology 2002; 7: 115 - 125.

  • Jayadevan S. The prevalence and type of tobacco habit- A population based study. Kerala dental journal 2009: 49-52.

  • ZahiruddinQS, GaidhaneA et al. Prevalence and pattern of tobacco use among tribal adolescents: Are tobacco prevention messages reaching the tribal people in India?. Annals of tropical medicine & public health 2011; 4(2): 74-80.

  • Narayan DD. Prevalence of Tobacco Consumption among the Adolescents of the Tribal Areas in Maharashtra. Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research 2011; 5(5): 1060-1063.

  • Bhat JT. Tobacco use among Gonds of Kundam, Jabalpur. Regional Medical Research Centre for Tribals, Indian Council of Medical Research 2008: 5(1).

  • Chen JW, Shaw JH. A study on betel quid chewing behaviour among Kaohsiung residents aged 15 years and above. J Oral Pathol Med 1996; 25: 140-143.

  • Gupta PC. A study of dose-response relationship between tobacco habits and oral leukoplakia. Br J Cancer 1984; 50: 527-531.

  • Kow TC, Chien JC. Tobacco, betel quid, alcohol, and illicit drug use among 13- to 35-year-olds in I-Lan, Rural Taiwan. Prevalence and Risk Factors. Am J Public Health 2001; 91: 1130–1134.

  • Neville BW, Damm DD, Allen CM, Bouquot JE. Text book of oral pathology, 3rd edition, Elsevier publication, St.Louis, Missouri 2009.

  • Proia NK. Smoking and Smokeless Tobacco- Associated Human Buccal Cell Mutations and Their Association with Oral Cancer—A Review. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006; 15(6): 1061-77.

  • Mathew AL. The prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in patients visiting a dental school in Southern India.Indian J Dent Res 2008; 19(2): 99-103.

  • Reichart PA, Philipsen HP. Betel chewer’s mucosa –a review. J Oral Pathol Med 1998; 27: 239–42.

  • Rathee JS. Antioxidant activity of piper betel leaf extract and its constituents. J Agric Food Chem 2006; 54(24): 9046-54.


Abstract Views: 717

PDF Views: 0




  • Prevalence and Type of Tobacco Habits and Tobacco Related Oral Lesions among Wayanad Tribes, Kerala, India

Abstract Views: 717  |  PDF Views: 0

Authors

K C Deepa
Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Kannur Dental College & Hospital Kerala, 670612, India
M Jose
Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Yenepoya Dental College and Hospital, Karnataka, India
V Prabhu
Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Yenepoya Dental College and Hospital, Karnataka, India

Abstract


Background: A positive correlation exists between tobacco habit and education&socio-economic status of individuals. The baseline study revealed that, Wayanad tribal population being a community which is falling behind the rest of population of Kerala in terms of literacy, income and health, spend a significant portion of their income on tobacco. As there is no information about actual prevalence of tobacco habits and related oral mucosal lesions, the present study was designed to record the related details.

Methodology: Total of 523 individuals belonging to the age group 10-80 years were selected randomly from different tribal groups of Wayanad district of Kerala. Selected individuals were personally interviewed in local language and subsequently oral examination was carried out to note the details. Results obtained were analysed statistically.

Results: Out of 523 participants, 445 (85.1%) were consuming tobacco in one form or other. 91.3% of tobacco users were males and 79.3% females with relatively equal distribution among different communities. Different types of habits observed were chewing, smoking and Snuff of which chewing was found to be more prevalent (60.1%). Various tobacco related oral mucosal lesions observed among the study populations were Leukoplakia 93 (17.8%), Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) 38 (7.2%), Oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC) 2(0.4%), and Chewers mucosa 61 (11.7%).

Conclusion: Prevalence of tobacco habits and related oral mucosal lesions are high among the tribes of Wayanad. Their ignorance about the adverse effect of tobacco is highly alarming and special attention from government and health professionals is required for improving the health awareness and welfare of this tribal community.


Keywords


Tobacco Habits, Tobacco Related Oral Lesions, Wayanad Tribes

References