CIGARETTE SMOKING AND USE OF SMOKELESS TOBACCO IN MOSHI RURAL DISTRICT IN NORTHERN TANZANIA

Background: We assessed age and sex differences in cigarette smoking and use of smokeless tobacco over time in a rural population in Tanzania. This paper presents data on tobacco use among men and women 15-36 years old from 1991 to 1997.
Methods: Cross-sectional studies were conducted in 1991, 1993 and 1997 in the Oria rural village situated 30 kilometres south of Moshi town in Kilimanjaro region. Verbal informed consent was obtained from each participant before questionnaire administration. Interviewers were fully trained on how to administer the questionnaire.
Results: The overall prevalence of cigarette smoking in men declined from 36.0% in 1991 to 23.1% in 1997 while for women prevalence declined from 3.0% in 1991 to 1.0% in 1997. Prevalence of cigarette smoking increased significantly with increasing age (p = 0.001). The overall self-reported prevalence of consumption of nasal tobacco snuff was 0.6% and that of oral snuff was 1.9%. There was no significant difference observed on the use of nasal tobacco snuff among men as compared to women (0.5% versus 0.6%). However, significantly more women than men used oral tobacco snuff in this population (3.0 versus 0.5%) (OR =6.31; 95% CI 1.45 to 57.11).
Conclusions: More men than women reported being cigarette smokers while for oral tobacco snuff more women than men used it. Cigarette smoking declined over time and may have been due to economic hardships following floods that hit the village in 1997.