A cross-sectional analysis of the link between tobacco use and marital living arrangements among Pakistani women: insights from Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey 2017-2018.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association between tobacco use and marital living arrangements among married women in Pakistan using data from the 2017-2018 Pakistan Demographic and Health Survey (PDHS).

DESIGN

Cross-sectional secondary analysis of nationally representative survey data.

SETTING

The analysis used data from 561 clusters across all regions of Pakistan, collected through a complex stratified sampling design.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 11,669 married women aged 15-49 years with complete information on tobacco use and living arrangements.

PRIMARY OUTCOME MEASURE

Self-reported current use of any tobacco product.

RESULTS

No significant association was found between marital living arrangement and tobacco use (adjusted prevalence OR (aPOR), 0.969; 95% CI, 0.585 to 1.605). However, higher odds of tobacco use were associated with being illiterate (aPOR, 1.51; 95% CI, 1.05 to 2.16), having more children (aPOR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.02 to 1.14) and, living in Baluchistan (aPOR, 4.98; 95% CI, 2.20 to 11.26).

CONCLUSIONS

Living arrangements were not significantly associated with tobacco use, sociodemographic and reproductive health indicators showed strong associations. Interventions should target illiteracy, reproductive stress and region-specific behaviours.