Smokeless tobacco consumption awareness, attitude and behavior among guilds of Chabahar, Iran

Introduction: Smokeless Tobacco product consumption is associated with various types of oral diseases in terms of etiology, such as periodontal diseases, oral mucosal lesions, and ultimately leads to tooth loss. The present study was conducted to investigate smokeless tobacco consumption awareness, attitude and behavior among guilds of Chabahar, Iran. Material-Method: In this descriptive cross-sectional study, 250 merchants working in different guilds of Chabahar in 2018 were selected using simple random sampling. The data collection tools were a researcher-made questionnaire inquiring about demographic and background details, awareness, attitude and behavior, and was used after the verification of its validity and reliability. Data were analyzed in SPSS software using statistical tests including mean, standard deviation, Mann-Whitney's test, Pearson's test and cross tables. Results: The mean attitude score was 27.98 in the Smokeless Tobacco consumers and 31.06 in the non-consumers, and a significant difference was observed between the two groups based on Mann-Whitney's test (P<0.05). The mean awareness score was 11.21 in the consumers and 10.52 in the non-consumers, and no significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of this variable (P>0.05). Conclusion: In general, due to the high prevalence of Smokeless Tobacco consumption, the poor awareness regarding this subject in the participants and the relationship between participants' attitude and the consuming and non-consuming groups, proper health promotion interventions should be adopted by national and local planners and policymakers to reduce the consumption of these products.