ANNOUNCEMENTS
South Asia shares more than three-quarters of global smokeless tobacco consumption leading to a high incidence of cancers and many other associated diseases. According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2016-17, in India, 29.6% of men, 12.8% of women and 21.4% (199.4 million) of all adults currently use smokeless tobacco. However, the susceptibility of women users to oral cancer and other reproductive morbidities is higher, thus bringing to attention the requirement of a targeted focus towards this population group. The use of SLT is highly prevalent among pregnant women and exposure of foetuses to chemicals and hazards present in SLT products, is leading to many preventable morbidities and outcomes. Despite this, there is a dearth of information and research on smokeless tobacco use among this demography. Frontline health workers play a crucial role in maintaining the health of the population and increasing outreach and awareness among them. Thus, it becomes imperative to identify the adequacy of these workers in promoting SLT cessation and behaviour change among the population of pregnant women. This thesis aims to explore the attitudes and practices of the health providers on smokeless tobacco use and cessation, especially among the population of pregnant women. The findings paint a grim picture as sensitization and counselling on smokeless tobacco cessation are largely missing from standard operating procedures, thus limiting the identification of risky behaviours. The dialogue over smokeless tobacco use among pregnant women is almost absent and often based on shaming the users. Thus, this thesis advocates for a gender-sensitive approach in understanding the determinants of use, motivations to quit and promoting primordial and primary prevention against morbidities and other reproductive outcomes.
Keywords: Smokeless tobacco, pregnant women, asking practices
