Social determinants in access to tobacco prevention and cessation support services among migrant construction workers in Urban Chennai, India.

Abstract

In spite of the high burden of tobacco consumption among migrants, disparities in the awareness of tobacco-related harms, health-seeking behaviors, and intention to switch to lower risk alternatives remain understudied area. Assess the social determinants in access to tobacco prevention and cessation support services among migrant construction workers in urban Chennai, India. A community-based, cross-sectional study design. A questionnaire adapted from GATS survey was used among migrants working across 13 construction sites of Chennai during May-September 2019. A counseling session was provided for the migrant workers who were willing to quit. Data entered in MS Excel was analyzed using SPSS and multivariate analysis was performed. Among 345 migrants, 338 (98%) were currently using tobacco and smokeless tobacco (57.4%) consumers. In spite of awareness (84.6%) about tobacco ill-effects on health, only 48% care providers enquired of the tobacco use in the previous one year. Pictorial health warnings were seen by 315 migrants (91.3%) in the past one month, but only 110 migrants (34.9%) considered quitting. The majority (341 migrants, 98.4%) have not heard of the lower risk alternatives such as nicotine gums and lozenges and only 89 migrants (26.33%) agreed to try lower risk alternatives for tobacco on trial basis. Migrant construction workers who were using tobacco less than 5 years (<i>P</i> = 0.001) were more likely to try lower risk alternatives. Reappraising social determinants in access to tobacco prevention and cessation support services to migrant construction workers may be a promising strategy to reduce health harms of tobacco intake.