Less demand for tobacco smokers in the marriage market.

ABSTRACT

Background: In order to control the tobacco scourge, an array of measures is required. Aims: To determine the attitude of unmarried females toward tobacco smokers and ascertain their attitude toward marrying a smoker. Settings and Design: Female students from randomly selected colleges in Kannur district, Kerala state, India, were the participants for this cross-sectional study. Materials and Methods: Sample consisted of 1800 unmarried female students from two colleges. A self-administered, structured, close-ended pilot-tested questionnaire was used for data collection. Data were collected after obtaining verbal consent from them. Statistical Analysis: Data collected were entered into an excel spread sheet and analyzed using PASW 17 software. Results: The participants' age ranged between 17 and 25 years. About 59.6% revealed that their parents (father) used tobacco products. Of those with no family history of tobacco use, 96.5% had negative attitude toward tobacco smokers, whereas of the participants with family history of tobacco use among parents, 89% were with a negative attitude toward tobacco use or their parent's habit. This association was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.001); 79% expressed negative attitude toward their male co-students who use tobacco products. Of the total, 99.3% expressed their unwillingness to marry a person with the habit of tobacco use, whereas 0.7% were willing to marry a person with tobacco habit with the belief that they could bring about a change in their male partner's tobacco habit. Conclusion: More comprehensive tobacco control activities can be undertaken in the community and colleges by incorporating female students as facilitators.