Prevalence of betel and Areca nut abuse among high school adolescents at Taluka Qasimabad District Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan

Objective: To determine the prevalence of smokeless tobacco abuse (like betel, and areca nuts) among high school adolescents at public high schools of Taluka Qasimabad District, Hyderabad, Pakistan. Methodology: This cross-sectional study was conducted among ninth and tenth class students using a predesigned questionnaire. Sample size was randomly selected 308 participants from age 13 - 16 years. Data analyzed was done through SPSS 23. Results: The prevalence of betel abuse among high school-going adolescentswas 14.6%.Areca nuts abuse prevalence was 57.1%. Conclusion: High school-going adolescents had betel and Areca nut abuse problems.The role of parents and school administration is important to amended the risky behavior among adolescents.