Abstract
Objective: To determine the prevalence of smokeless
tobacco abuse (like betel, and areca nuts) among high
school adolescents at public high schools of Taluka
Qasimabad District, Hyderabad, Pakistan.
Methodology: This cross-sectional study was
conducted among ninth and tenth class students using
a predesigned questionnaire. Sample size was
randomly selected 308 participants from age 13 – 16
years. Data analyzed was done through SPSS 23.
Results: The prevalence of betel abuse among high
school-going adolescentswas 14.6%.Areca nuts abuse
prevalence was 57.1%.
Conclusion: High school-going adolescents had betel
and Areca nut abuse problems.The role of parents and
school administration is important to amended the
risky behavior among adolescents.
Keywords: Adolescents, betel, areca nut, smokeless
tobacco, abuse.
