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Background & objectives: Contrary to overall declining trend in smokeless tobacco (SLT) use in India, an increase is observed in north-east (NE) India. This study examined the predictors of daily SLT use by gender and assessed the demographic and socio-economic characteristics that contribute to gender differences in SLT use in NE India. Methods: Data collected from 15,259 and 13,574 adults in the two rounds of Global Tobacco Adult Survey 1 and 2 for NE India during 2009-2010 and 2016-2017 were analyzed. Relative change, multivariable binary logistic regression and Blinder-Oaxaca decomposition analysis were used for analysis. Results: The findings suggest that among women in NE India, the daily SLT use significantly increased by 58 per cent between 2009-2010 to 2016-2017. Women residing in Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura were 3.5 and 2.5 times, respectively more likely to be daily SLT users compared to those in Assam. While age, education and wealth were the significant predictors of SLT use in both women and men, increased odds of SLT use were observed with women’s type of occupation and the State of residence. The majority of the gender differences in daily SLT use was explained by differences in work status (44%), age (26%), education (14%) and wealth status (9%) between men and women. Interpretation & conclusions: Increasing prevalence of SLT use amongst women in the NE States necessitates integration of gender-specific messages on harmful effects of SLT in the ongoing tobacco control programmes and development of culturally appropriate community-based interventions for cessation of SLT use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Smokeless tobacco (SLT) use among women is widely prevalent in Manipur state accounting for 45% users as per Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS)-2 India. Studies from India and elsewhere indicate changes in the way people used SLT during COVID-19 lockdown. This study explores individual and economic influences on SLT consumption and cessation attempts by tribal women in Manipur during the first COVID-19 lockdown (March-June, 2020) in India., Methods: Twenty in-depth interviews, both in-person and telephonically, were conducted among tribal women from Imphal west, Manipur, India, who used any SLT, from April to September 2020. Objective of the study was to understand the use, factors associated with consumption, purchasing behaviors, and cessation attempts of SLT during the lockdown. Thematic content analysis was used to identify core themes and codes., Results: Study participants reported of changes in current SLT use during restrictions imposed to contain COVID-19 pandemic in India. Majority reported of reduction or quit attempts in SLT use. Reasons included inaccessibility due to travel restrictions, limited availability and price rise of SLT products, fear of COVID-19, and disposable income for purchase of SLT products. However, a few women reported of increased consumption due to bulk purchasing, or switching to other SLT products as a result of unavailability or price rise of preferred products or to cope up with social isolation caused by the lockdown., Conclusion: Study findings on factors influencing quit attempts and strategies used for reducing SLT use by tribal women in Imphal, Manipur provide valuable insights for development of appropriate intervention for prevention of SLT use among women.

Background & Objectives: Healthcare workers (HCWs) are at an elevated risk of contracting COVID-19. While intense occupational exposure associated with aerosol-generating procedures underlines the necessity of using personal protective equipment (PPE) by HCWs, high-transmission efficiency of the causative agent [severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)] could also lead to infections beyond such settings. Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), a repurposed antimalarial drug, was empirically recommended as prophylaxis by the National COVID-19 Task Force in India to cover such added risk. Against this background, the current investigation was carried out to identify the factors associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection among HCWs in the country., Methods: A case-control design was adopted and participants were randomly drawn from the countrywide COVID-19 testing data portal maintained by the ICMR. The test results and contact details of HCWs, diagnosed as positive (cases) or negative (controls) for SARS-CoV-2 using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), were available from this database. A 20-item brief-questionnaire elicited information on place of work, procedures conducted and use of PPE., Results: Compared to controls, cases were slightly older (34.7 vs. 33.5 yr) and had more males (58 vs. 50%). In multivariate analyses, HCWs performing endotracheal intubation had higher odds of being SARS-CoV-2 infected [adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 4.33, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.16-16.07]. Consumption of four or more maintenance doses of HCQ was associated with a significant decline in the odds of getting infected (AOR: 0.44; 95% CI: 0.22-0.88); a dose-response relationship existed between frequency of exposure to HCQ and such reductions (χ [2] for trend=48.88; P <0.001). In addition, the use of PPE was independently associated with the reduction in odds of getting infected with SARS-CoV-2., Interpretations & Conclusions: Until results of clinical trials for HCQ prophylaxis become available, this study provides actionable information for policymakers to protect HCWs at the forefront of COVID-19 response. The public health message of sustained intake of HCQ prophylaxis as well as appropriate PPE use need to be considered in conjunction with risk homoeostasis operating at individual levels., Competing Interests: None