Culturally Accepted Smokeless and Chewing Tobacco Use among South Asian Immigrants in the USA

Smokeless tobacco use is an increasingly growing health concern among South Asians immigrants. Different studied suggested that prolonged use of smokeless and chewing tobacco has adverse impact on physical and neurological health. However, there is lack of research on psychological effects of smokeless tobacco among South Asian population. The purpose of the present study was to examine the psychological dependence that develops from using smokeless and chewing tobacco among South Asian immigrants in the USA. The study utilized a quantitative research design using survey method including standardized questionnaires. Interviews were conducted with 24 male and 48 females (N=72) from South Asian immigrants in the USA. Overall, there was no significant differences were found between gender, level of education, types of employment, and attempts to stop and positive dependence. Although there is a small positive correlation between age and positive dependence (r=.26). Results suggest that there is strong correlation between positive dependence and tolerance (r=.95) and strong positive correlations between positive dependence and cravings (r=.92). The results also indicated a positive relationship between positive relations and smokeless tobacco use (r=.91, ?.05) and secondary dependence and smoke?less tobacco use (r=.98, ?.05). The study also showed that there is a positive correlation between behavior patterns (frequency of daily use and number of use) and level of craving and withdrawals was higher. The implications of the study for both researchers and health professionals need to understand the culture-specific reasons for its use along with other covariates to assess the prevalence, screen for risks, and build culture specific intervention strategies