Effect of a longitudinal community-based tobacco cessation intervention package on tobacco use among women in self-help groups (SHGs) in Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra, India

This study will assess the effect of a longitudinal community-based tobacco cessation intervention package on tobacco use among women microfinance self-help group (SHG) members. The study will be conducted in the three field clusters of Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal (MAVIM), which have received the first round of the community-based tobacco cessation intervention package, in Gadchiroli district, Maharashtra, India . The intervention package will include- i) group health education meetings for women SHG members conducted by a trained supervisors (Sahayoginis), ii) home visits by a trained SHG member (designated as a Muktidoot) for individual counseling of women SHG members for tobacco cessation, iii) oral checkup of SHG members by dentists to diagnose oral ill effects of tobacco and provide referral and counseling, iv) showing health educational videos on the ill effects of tobacco and v) distribution of earthen money saving pot to save money spent on tobacco. The intervention package will be implemented for 4 months among the selected MAVIM clusters. The primary outcome will be decrease in the percentage of SHG members using tobacco and the secondary outcomes will be-a) Decrease in the average daily expenditure on tobacco and b) the amount of money saved in the earthen money saving pots by the tobacco users during the intervention. The primary and the secondary outcomes will be assessed by the SHG members using a standardized questionnaire at baseline and at the end of 4 months of the intervention. Tobacco use will be assessed using the self-report method and 10 % of those who report quitting tobacco at the end of the intervention will undergo objective assessment using salivary cotinine testing.