Areca nut use dependence with and without tobacco amongst Tower Hamlets-UK resident adults of Bangladeshi origin: A cross sectional study
| Author(s)
Saba Kassim, Dipul Ghosh, Shajue Begum, Kamrun Nahar, Abul Khurshed and Shamsia Begum Foreman
| | Presenter(s) |
Saba Kassim Post Doctoral Research Assistant, Queen Mary University of London |
Shamsia Begum Foreman Research Assistant, Queen Mary University of London | Abstract To assess levels of areca nut (AN), a seed of the areca palm tree, dependence with and without tobacco. Method: A purposive sample of one hundred and sixty users were recruited from different community settings and during annual health awareness events. Face to face interview data collection included socio-demographic items, aspects of AN use alone or areca nut with tobacco (ANT), and dependence. Preliminary data analysis included descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis.
Results: Participants’ mean (95% CI) age was 47. 02 (95%C.I. 44.83, 49.2102) years and 77.5% were female. Seventy two used ANT in betel leaf, 4% ANT, 8% AN alone and 16% AN in betel leaf. There was a statistically significant difference in the mean±SD of frequency of daily use between AN users alone compared with ANT users (5.32±2.57 VS 8.18±5.78, p=0.003). Those who used ANT were more likely to hate giving up their ‘first use’ after waking up compared to AN users alone (62%VS 38%, p=0.010). The levels of dependence (measured by severity of dependence-SDS) among ANT users was higher than among AN users alone (6.025±3.03 VS 4.40±2.87), p=0.003).
Conclusions: In this study sample the intensity of areca nut use dependence increased when combined with tobacco.
| Presenter biography Saba Kassim, is a Postdoctoral Research Assistant with Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry. She is expert in khat chewing with tobacco smoking amongst minorities specifically the Yemenis. Also currently works as data manager for tobacco cessation for the BME Stop Tobacco Project. She has an interest in research of social determinants of health specifically risk and protective (psychosocial and behavioural) determinants of health.
Shamsia Begum Foreman, is a Research Assistant and Programme Manager for the BME Stop Tobacco Project within Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, commissioned by the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. She is a Tobacco Cessation Practitioner with 15 years’ experience in supporting tobacco users to quit.
| Source of funding: Source of funding: The Food Standard Agency, UK
| Declaration of interest: None
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