Chewing tobacco use among pregnant women in India: Analysis of national family health surveys

Background: India accounts for over 67% of chewing tobacco users globally and more than 50 million women in India chew tobacco. Chewing tobacco is documented to have negative effects on health of mother and foetus. This research was conducted to study the trends in chewing tobacco use among pregnant women in India, and identify factors associated with chewing tobacco use among pregnant women.Methods: We analyzed micro-data from two representative national surveys i.e., National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-4 (2015-16) & NFHS-5 (2019-21). A sample of 32,428 & 28,408 pregnant women were extracted from NFHS-4 & NFHS-5 respectively. Weighted prevalence and 95% confidence levels of chewing tobacco use were computed. State wide comparisons in chewing tobacco use were made. Employing binary logistic regression, adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were computed to identify factors associated with chewing tobacco use.Results: From NFHS-4 to 5 the prevalence of chewing tobacco use among pregnant women decreased from 4.0% (95% CI = 3.9-4.0) to 2.3%(95% CI = 2.2-2.4) respectively indicating a relative reduction of 42.5%. The highest prevalence remains to be in north-eastern India at 13.0%. Belonging to north-eastern region AOR = 7.0(95 %CI = 6.2-7.9), no-education AOR = 13.2(95 %CI = 10.5-16.5), poorest wealth index AOR = 6.7(95 %CI = 5.6-8.0) and belonging to scheduled tribe AOR = 2.6(95 %CI = 2.4-2.9) was significantly associated with chewing tobacco use among pregnant women. Conclusion: From NFHS-4 to 5, chewing tobacco use during pregnancy has shifted more towards socioeconomically vulnerable population. Targeted approaches with accessible and affordable tobacco cessation advice integrated to primary healthcare system are needed.

Automated summary

This study examined the trends in chewing tobacco use among pregnant women in India and identified factors associated with this behavior. The prevalence of chewing tobacco decreased from 4.0% to 2.3% between 2015 and 2021, but the highest prevalence remained in northeastern India. Factors such as belonging to the northeastern region, no education, poorest wealth index, and belonging to a scheduled tribe were significantly associated with chewing tobacco use among pregnant women.