فهرست نشریات علمی دسترسی آزاد ایران

BACKGROUND: Limited information exists in India about the awareness and perception of thepeople regarding pictorial health warnings (PHWs) and text warnings on tobacco products, moreso from rural areas. Objectives were to report the awareness of these warnings, factors predictingawareness and perceived effectiveness of PHWs, and understanding of their content in a ruralpopulation.MATERIALS AND METHODS: A community‑based cross‑sectional study was conducted intwo villages (chosen randomly out of total four) in the rural field practice area of a tertiary careteaching hospital in Puducherry. Households were selected by systematic random sampling. Allpersons ≥18 years and residing in the area for at least 6 months were included. Data regardingawareness and perception of participants was collected through a semi‑structured interviewschedule.RESULTS: A total of 428 participants were recruited; 197 (46%) were male, and 231 (54%) werefemale. The mean age of the participants was 38.9 (standard deviation 15.0) years. Awarenessof PHWs and text warnings was 39.5% (169/428) and 21% (90/428), respectively. Only 11.2%participants perceived PHWs as effective. Most (45%) of the participants had a vague understandingof the content of PHWs. On multivariate logistic regression, male gender, current tobacco use, andbetter education emerged as predictors of greater awareness of PHWs. Extended family predictedgreater perceived effectiveness of PHWs, whereas, high socioeconomic class and middle schoolcompletion predicted lower perceived effectiveness of PHWs.CONCLUSION: Awareness and perceived effectiveness of adults in rural Puducherry regardingPHWs were low. There is a need to create awareness through education and using meaningful,larger pictures.