Perception towards tobacco consumption and its usage among auto rickshaw drivers of Udupi District, Karnataka, India: A cross-sectional study

Background: Tobacco usage has become a major public health problem. It is a leading cause of preventable disease and death. The hazard related to tobacco consumption is also increasing. Therefore, the present study aimed to assess the perception towards tobacco consumption and the pattern of usage of tobacco products among auto-rickshaw drivers. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2019 to August 2020 among 161 auto-rickshaw drivers of Udupi Taluk, Karnataka using the purposive sampling technique. A pretested, valid and reliable selfadministered questionnaires were used to collect data on usage of tobacco and perception towards tobacco consumption. Data were analysed using SPSS version 16. Results: A total of 99 (62%) auto-rickshaw drivers were users of smoking tobacco products and 38 (24%) were smokeless tobacco products users. The majority 118 (73%) were daily tobacco users and 83 (52%) auto-rickshaw drivers did not use any tobacco products in the work area. Nearly 52 (32%) participants consumed tobacco products due to work pressure. Around 91 (57%) auto-rickshaw drivers were not interested to quit tobacco products. Mean perception score of 139.81 +/- 11.45 shows that the majority of them perceive tobacco consumption as hazardous for health. Conclusion: Different forms of tobacco products were used despite knowing the hazardous effect on health. Intervention programs to control tobacco consumption should be planned by the health care professionals and strict enforcement of tobacco control policy is critical to address tobacco-related morbidity and mortality.