Exploring tobacco use in Koraga community in India: A qualitative study

ABSTRACT Context: The Koraga tribal community in India has been reported to demonstrate a high prevalence of tobacco use. Aim: To explore the perceptions of tobacco use and factors affecting its continued use among the Koraga tribe in Mangaluru, Dakshina Kannada. Setting and Design: A qualitative descriptive study was conducted in the houses of the participants in the hamlets of the Koraga community in Mangaluru, India. Methods and Materials: In-depth interviews were conducted using an interview guide with 15 adults belonging to the Koraga community in their houses in the hamlets. The voice recordings of the interviews were transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was performed to manually evaluate the data. Results: The qualitative data suggest that the use of tobacco is rooted in their culture and accepted within the family. The practice of tobacco chewing was perceived as a stress buster, helping them remain alert and active and perform their occupation efficiently. They expressed conscious neglect of the ill effects of tobacco and any tobacco regulatory rules or laws. Conclusions: As tobacco use is ingrained in their community, the participants described dependence and limited benefits of quitting. These findings imply that tobacco cessation efforts should be tailored culturally and linguistically to educate them on the ill effects of tobacco and tobacco regulatory rules and to break the norm in family, workplace, and community.