This study hypothesises that the presence of a third person during the interaction between the survey investigator and the woman respondent leads to underreporting of smokeless tobacco (SLT) use by Indian women, including pregnant and breastfeeding women. Cross-sectional data from the National Family Health Survey conducted in 2015–16 was analysed for SLT use among women aged 15–49. Multivariate logistic regression examined the odds of SLT use reporting by women respondents in the presence of their husbands and other male or female adults. SLT use reporting by women significantly varied by the presence of someone during the interview. The analysis shows that the odds of reporting SLT use among women who were neither pregnant nor lactating was 20.6% lower when they were interviewed in the presence of their husbands than when they were interviewed alone. Similarly, compared to those interviewed alone, the odds of women reporting SLT use was 16.5% lower among pregnant and breastfeeding women interviewed in the presence of any adult female. The odds of women under-reporting SLT use were higher in Central and Western India. This study argues that the current survey estimates misconstrue the authentic prevalence of tobacco use among women in India, including pregnant and lactating women. Due to social desirability or the presence of a third person during the survey interview, those respondents who do not report their tobacco use status are also more likely to forego essential support for successful tobacco cessation. Survey methodology must be strengthened to avert the presence of a third person during the interview to ensure better reporting and population health estimates.

Low- and middle-income countries are undergoing epidemiological and demographic transitions alongside economic growth, contributing to a rise in abdominal obesity. In India, the increase in sedentary occupations and insufficient physical activity are key drivers of this growing health concern. This study investigates the relationship between occupational types and abdominal obesity markers in well-characterised adults, accounting for a wide range of confounders. Using a nationally representative sample of 99,653 women and 91,990 men, occupations were categorised into sedentary work (SW), non-sedentary work (NSW), and not working (NW). Two outcomes were assessed: abdominal obesity, measured via waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) using WHO cutoffs, and a higher-risk threshold of WHR ≥ 1. Bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regression, adjusted for socioeconomic and demographic factors, were conducted to evaluate the risk of abdominal obesity by occupation type. Among women, abdominal obesity prevalence based on WHO criteria was 56% (95% CI: 55.60–56.46), highest in NW (57.3%; 95% CI: 56.80–57.83), followed by SW (57.1%; 95% CI: 55.39–58.78) and NSW (51.5%; 95% CI: 50.63–52.43). Among men, prevalence was 48.9% (95% CI: 48.31–49.46), highest in SW (57.8%; 95% CI: 56.51–59.14), followed by NSW (49.9%; 95% CI: 49.15–50.63) and NW (37.3%; 95% CI: 36.14–38.43). Adjusted odds of abdominal obesity were significantly higher for SW compared to NSW (women: aOR 1.08, 95% CI: 1.02–1.14; men: aOR 1.20, 95% CI: 1.16–1.25). High prevalence of abdominal obesity among both men and women implies an emerging health risk in India. The findings that contributed to associations between sedentary occupation and abdominal obesity may inform occupation-related health risks and development of interventions to limit daily sitting at work place which may reduce metabolic disease risk.

The prevalence of hypertension and diabetes, which often coexist and significantly contribute to the burden of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), is increasing in India. This study examines the sex-stratified prevalence, coexistence, and bidirectional risks of hypertension and diabetes across states with varying epidemiological transition levels (ETLs) and identifies high-burden hotspots. This study analysed data from the fifth round of the National Family Health Survey, covering 614,426 women and 556,199 men aged 30 years and above, with biomarker information on both diabetes and hypertension. The age-standardized prevalence was estimated, and adjusted risk ratios (ARRs) were obtained on multivariate logit scale. Bivariate maps, spatial autocorrelation and hotspot analyses were conducted using ArcGIS Pro to identify geographic clusters associated with twin epidemics. Individuals diagnosed with hypertension or diabetes were, on average, nearly a decade older than those without. Hypertension prevalence was 30.3% (95%CI:30.14–30.48) among men and 28.6% (95%CI:28.47–28.79) among women, whereas diabetes prevalence was at 19.7% (95%CI:19.58–19.88) in men and 17.4% (95%CI:17.22–17.50) in women. Among individuals with diabetes, 43.1% (95%CI:42.67–43.53) of men and 43.9% (95%CI:43.48–44.36) of women had hypertension, whereas 28.1% (95%CI:27.75–28.37) of hypertensive men and 26.6% (95%CI:26.33–26.93) of hypertensive women were diabetic. Hotspots for twin epidemics were identified in coastal regions, including the southern states with high ETLs, as well as the northern states with high-ETLs and the country’s northeastern region. ARR estimates revealed that the risk of hypertension among individuals with diabetes was 39% higher (95%CI:1.38–1.40) in men and 41% higher (95%CI:1.39–1.42) in women than in individuals without diabetes. Similarly, the risk of diabetes among individuals with hypertension was 51% higher (95%CI:1.49–1.52) in men and 55% higher (95%CI:1.53–1.57) in women than in individuals without hypertension. Our findings highlight the progressive nature of the twin epidemics of diabetes and hypertension, with an increased risk of onset associated with advanced age. The presence of one condition substantially elevates the likelihood of developing the other, highlighting their bidirectional relationship. Achieving Sustainable Development Goal target 3.4 requires addressing these intersecting epidemics as a unified entity for effective management. Targeted interventions should prioritise high-burden hotspots for integrated care strategies to mitigate the twin epidemics of diabetes and hypertension.

Sporadic evidence is available on the association of consuming multiple substances with the risk of hypertension among adults in India where there is a substantial rise in cases. This study assesses the mutually exclusive and mixed consumption patterns of alcohol, tobacco smoking and smokeless tobacco use and their association with hypertension among the adult population in India. Nationally representative samples of men and women drawn from the National Family and Health Survey (2015–2016) were analyzed. A clinical blood pressure measurement above 140 mmHg (systolic blood pressure) and 90 mmHg (diastolic blood pressure) was considered in the study as hypertension. Association between mutually exclusive categories of alcohol, tobacco smoking and smokeless tobacco and hypertension were examined using multivariate binary logistic regression models. Daily consumption of alcohol among male smokeless tobacco users had the highest likelihood to be hypertensive (OR: 2.32, 95% CI: 1.99–2.71) compared to the no-substance-users. Women who smoked, and those who used any smokeless tobacco with a daily intake of alcohol had 71% (OR: 1.71, 95% CI: 1.14–2.56) and 51% (OR: 1.51, 95% CI: 1.25–1.82) higher probability of being hypertensive compared to the no-substance-users, respectively. In order to curb the burden of hypertension among the population, there is a need for an integrated and more focused intervention addressing the consumption behavior of alcohol and tobacco.

Smoking and smokeless tobacco use during the postpartum period is well studied in high-income countries, whereas low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) lack evidence. In this cross-sectional study we used data from the Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) conducted in 78 LMICs between January 2010 and December 2019 to study tobacco use among 0.32 million sample lactating women. Age-standardized prevalence of smoking and smokeless tobacco use was estimated and presented with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) for 78 LMICs. Pooled estimates overall and by WHO regions were obtained using random-effects meta-analyses. Country-level and community-level variance to understand contextual factors was also quantified using multilevel modelling. Pooled prevalence of any tobacco use among breastfeeding women in LMICs was 3.61% (95% CI 3.53–3.70); with the lowest prevalence in regions of the Americas (1.44%, 1.26–1.63) and the highest in the Southeast Asia region (6.13%, 6.0–6.27). The pooled prevalence of tobacco smoking was reported to be 1.16% (1.11–1.21), with the highest prevalence in the Eastern Mediterranean region (4.27%, 3.88–4.67) and the lowest in the African region (0.81%, 0.76–0.86). The pooled prevalence of smokeless tobacco use was reported to be 2.56% (2.49–2.63), with the highest prevalence in the Southeast Asia region (4.92%, 4.80–5.04). Illiterate and poor women in LMICs bore the enormous burden of tobacco use. The prevalence of smoking and smokeless tobacco use among lactating women in LMICs varied considerably across different WHO regions. Considering the cross-sectional design of the study, caution is required while interpreting the results. To improve mothers' and children's health and nutrition outcomes and reduce health inequalities in LMICs, reducing tobacco use through evidence-based interventions is critical. None.