Rural-Urban Inequalities in Lifetime Tobacco Consumption Among Middle-Aged and Older Adults in India: A Decomposition Analysis Using Survey-Weighted National Data.
This study found that tobacco use affects over one-third of middle-aged and older Indians, with rural populations consuming significantly more than urban populations. Smokeless tobacco is more common than smoking, and differences between rural and urban areas are largely explained by education levels, regional location, and alcohol use patterns.
Relevance to India: Highly relevant—uses nationally representative Indian survey data to identify that rural and economically disadvantaged populations bear a disproportionate tobacco burden, with implications for targeted tobacco control policy across regions.