| Summary: | Introduction
Tobacco use is one of the main risk factors for a number of chronic
diseases, including cancer, lung diseases, and cardiovascular diseases. Nass
is a form of smokeless tobacco. It is used most commonly in Central Asia,
Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, and is significantly associated with oral and
oesophageal cancers. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of
nass use and its associated factors among patients attending an outpatient clinic
in Afghanistan.
Methods
This cross-sectional study was performed in an outpatient clinic in Andkhoy,
Afghanistan, from April to July 2017. The study included 387 consecutive patients.
The data collection tool was a questionnaire, which includes three main items:
demographic, physical, and biomedical measurements. We performed binary
logistic regression to identify independent risk factors of nass use.
Results
The study included 387 participants, of whom 225 were males (58.1%)
and 162 were females (41.9%). The overall prevalence of nass use was 48.8%
(95% CI: 43.8–53.9%), with the Turkmen ethnic group having significantly
higher prevalence than other ethnic groups (58.2%, 95% CI: 50.8–65.3% vs
41.8%, 95% CI: 34.7–49.2%). The mean and standard deviation of the age was
63.9 (17.2) years for nass users and 42.3 (17.4) years for non-users.
Based on a multivariate analysis, family history of nass use (OR=31.4, 95% CI:
12.5–78.5), illiteracy (OR=8.9, 95% CI: 2.5–31.2), rural residence (OR=2.0, 95%
CI: 1.0–3.9), and unemployment (OR=5.4, 95% CI: 1.4–21.4) were associated
with nass use.
Conclusions
Our results indicate that about half of the participants were nass
users, and nass use associated factors were family history of nass use, illiteracy,
unemployment, and rural residency in outpatient clinics in Afghanistan. More
surveillance data are needed on a national level to inform the development of
strategies for the prevention and control of nass consumption in Afghanistan.
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