Association between XXXX use and body mass index in urban Indian population: implications for public health in India.

@entity1 @entity286
BACKGROUND: Body mass index [BMI, weight (kg)/height (m2)], a measure of relative weight, is a good overall indicator of nutritional status and predictor of overall health. As in many developing countries, the high prevalence of very low BMIs in India represents an important public health risk. @entity286 , smoked in the form of cigarettes or bidis (handmade by rolling a dried rectangular piece of temburni leaf with 0.15-0.25 g of @entity286 ) or chewed, is another important determinant of health. @entity286 use also may exert a strong influence on BMI. METHODS: The relationship between very low BMI (< 18.5 kg/m2) and @entity286 use was examined using data from a representative cross-sectional survey of 99,598 adults (40,071 @entity1 and 59,527 @entity1 ) carried out in the city of Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay) in western India. @entity1 were @entity1 and @entity1 aged > or = 35 years who were residents of the main city of Mumbai. RESULTS: All forms of @entity286 use were associated with low BMI. The prevalence of low BMI was highest in bidi-smokers (32% compared to 13% in non-users). For smokers, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were OR = 1.80(1.65 to 1.96) for @entity1 and OR = 1.59(1.09 to 2.32) for @entity1 , respectively, relative to non-users. For smokeless @entity286 and mixed habits (smoking and smokeless @entity286 ), OR = 1.28(1.19 to 1.38) and OR = 1.83(1.67 to 2.00) for @entity1 and OR = 1.50(1.43 to 1.59) and OR = 2.19(1.90 to 3.41) for @entity1 , respectively. CONCLUSION: @entity286 use appears to be an independent risk factor for low BMI in this population. We conclude that in such populations @entity286 control research and interventions will need to be conducted in concert with nutrition research and interventions in order to improve the overall health status of the population.
