Health Implications of Tobacco Use

The purpose of this study is to investigate the health implications of using tobacco. The research questions focus on the key drivers of tobacco use and the major health issues resulting from it. The objectives aim to determine the health implications of using tobacco and find out the health implications of using tobacco.

Research methods for social epidemiology 1
Research Methods for social Epidemiology
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Research methods for social epidemiology 2
Part 1
Systematic research
Systematic research can be defined as one which can be undertaken systematically across
different databases. According to Rajesh (2012, p. 48), this type of research can also be referred
as search translation and is primarily performed to attain knowledge concerning an area or an
aspect which little is known about. Systematic research should have a clear question that should
be answered by undertaking a systemic search guided by defined keywords in a database.
This type of study includes searching for relevant literature based on various aspects.
This research should also portray high levels of consistency, meaning that it should be reliable
regarding delivering the information or knowledge which the researcher seeks to attain. This type
of study should also be orderly, implying that it should follow specifically defined criteria to
accomplish the results.
Antony (2010, p. 131) affirms that systematic research should be all-encompassing and
easy to understand because the primary aim of this type of study is to explore a particular topic in
an area where little knowledge exists. This means for the positive outcome to be attained, the
research must be thorough and understandable. One of the advantages of this type of study is that
it leads reliable findings because it follows a systematic procedure. The other advantage of this
type of research is that it aids in identifying a knowledge gap that needs to be researched.

Research methods for social epidemiology 3
Systematic review
According to Rajesh (2012, p. 52), a systematic review answers a defined research
question through collecting data and summarizing all information that meets pre-specified
eligibility criteria. To undertake this excise, various statistical methods such as a meta-analysis
are employed. According to Antony (2010, P. 128), this technique is fundamental in this review
because it helps in summarizing the results obtained.
Some of the characteristics of systematic review comprise of using various measures such
as a clear methodology and a set of objectives. This review also entails an assessment of the
validity of findings after completing the excise. Additionally, it also involves a systematic
presentation, and the combination of the results attained from different studies. The advantage of
a systematic review is that it is a well-planned and more original because it is undertaken using
rigorous methodological approaches. The other advantage is that it uses a systematic and well-
defined methodology to identify, select, and critically evaluate the findings.
Narrative review
According to Rajesh (2012, p. 53), narrative review can be defined as analyzing articles
that describe the state of science of a particular subject from a theoretical and contextual point of
view. Systematic review articles are considered original work because they are conducted using
defined methodological approaches to attain findings. This type of review entails analysis of the
literature that has been published in various sources such as books or paper-based journal
articles. One of the advantages of narrative review is that it provides continuous learning because
it helps researchers to attain up-to-date knowledge concerning particular topic or theme.

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Part 2
Introduction
This chapter reviews selected literature and examines both general and specific theories that have been
done in the area of credit reference. Literature review is the process of identifying, evaluating,
synthesizing, and presenting relevant information from other sources like publication, journals, and
magazines. The literature review will examine how various studies have analyzed the influence of
tobacco use as one of the public health problems. Based on the incremental lay theory, smoking
behavior can change. However, en entity theory holds the belief that this behavior cannot
change. This implies that to understand this issues, it would be fundamental to conduct a
systematic research.
According to Jan (2010, p. 458), tobacco smoking has been one of the social factors that every
country has been seeking to address. However, with the continuous efforts to address this issue,
the use of cigarettes and other tobacco-related substances is still reported as one of the significant
causes of mortality in the world, with approximately five million deaths occurring each year.
The prevalence of tobacco use is more than one billion, with most of the users coming from low
to middle-income nations. Although studies have been undertaken concerning this issue, a gap
still exists regarding the health implications and social determinants of this substance. Because
there is lack of sufficient knowledge concerning this issue, it would be fundamental to explore
the question: what are the social epidemiology of tobacco use?
Systematic search
In most countries, tobacco use is termed as one of the most significant causes of
inequality in mobility and mortality which exist between the rich and the poor. Lee (2016, p. 90)

Research methods for social epidemiology 5
asserts that tobacco smoking is highly prevalent among the low-income people, and this makes
the mobility rate to be highest among the people of this levels of income. Some of the health
implications associated with tobacco use among the low-income people comprise of high levels
of lung cancer, pregnancy and delivery complications among the females, respiratory system
problems, among others.
Being an area that requires a lot of knowledge to be obtained to understand the problem,
a systematic search was done by analyzing some of the published sources that talk about this
subject. This included examining most of the latest books and journals that appears to be helpful
in defining and explaining the problem.
Findings
According to Jiloha (2010, p. 58), the rate of tobacco smoking varies across countries,
with each having various issues that trigger the use of this substance. However, some of the
states have been able to reduce smoking and tobacco-related mobility and mortality through
implementing health-promoting policies such as imposing high taxes on the substance, printing
the health implications of the substance on the packages and so forth.
According to Antony (2010, P. 126), education is also another determinant of tobacco
use. Various studies conducted in the pasts have implied that the use of this substance is high
among the people with low levels of education than those who have attained high standards of
studies. The reason that triggers this variation is that education plays a significant role in
enabling people to understand the health implications of using Cigarettes and other tobacco-
related substances.

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Gender is also another determinant of tobacco use. According to Rajesh (2012, p. 52), the
rate of using this substance is high among men than women, especially in the developing nations.
For the developed countries, the gap between men and women who use this substance is not
wide, and is believed to continue reducing as time goes on. One of the factors making women to
engage in the consumption of this substance is the wrong perception concerning its benefits. For
example, some people believe that it aids in weight reduction, reduce stress, minimize menstrual
pain among others.
Reports from the world health organization (WHO) implies that more men than women
die from tobacco-related issues across the world. However, there are numerous aspects of
tobacco consumption to consider based on gender. According to Rajesh (2012, p. 50), women
attain lower abstinence rates than their counterparts after quitting the use of this substance
because of various reasons. Past research has indicated that women tend to be more venerable to
the resulting impacts of tobacco because they even realize health implications during their first
times of exposure. Although the rate of tobacco consumption among the women is significantly
lower as compared to that of men, study has implied that the gap is closing and in future, the
level of consumption may be the same between the two genders or even higher among the
women.
Some of the factors that influence tobacco use among adolescents and young adults
include accessibility to tobacco products, low self-esteem, peer pressure, and being exposed to
tobacco use promotional campaigns (Robin, 2013, p. 65). Research has also implied that lack of
knowledge concerning the health implications associated with consumption of this product is
also a significant contributor to its consumption.

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Being a highly addictive product, this tobacco perpetuates poverty and loss of
opportunities, especially for the low-income people. According to Manoj, (2014), cigarette
smoking causes not only health issues but also leads to other problems which significantly affect
the society. Some of these uses include increased poverty due to missing opportunities, lack of
concentration especially when one misses the substance, among others.
There has also been ethnic inequalities associated with tobacco smoking. According to
Rajesh (2012, p. 51), some of the countries like Roma, for instance, have high levels of tobacco
smoking than other countries. Some of the factors that lead to inequities between ethnic groups
in tobacco consumption include cultural beliefs, education, and economic factors, among others.
Another social factor that influences smoking is the environment where one grows.
Butler (2010, p. 57) affirms that the possibilities of tobacco use differ across people who grow up
in families where family members smoke to those that none of the family members consumes
this product. For the children who grow in families where parents smoke, the chances of using
this product are always high because of limited restriction. This happens because if a parent
smoke, for example, a young child will not view cigarettes as harmful because he/she believes
what the parent does is the best
Alexander (2017, P. 59) asserts that restrictions at home or workplaces are one of the
fundamental factors that play a role in decreasing or quitting the use of tobacco. This implies that
socializing with people who have negative attitudes towards the purpose of this product is
fundamental because it makes one to view the importance of not engaging in consumption of this
product.
Factors that make people use tobacco

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Although tobacco is associated with various disadvantages, there are different perceived
benefits of using this substance. One of the benefits includes trusting that tobacco-related
substances relief stress. According to Manoj & Priyamvada (2013, p. 79), most of the people
who consume tobacco-related products believe that this product makes their brains to relax and
therefore is an effective way of doing away with stress.
The other reason that makes people to use tobacco is the taste. Rajesh (2012, p. 49)
affirms that the addictive nature of this substance makes the users to think that its flavor is
always enjoyable. This makes them feel the need of consuming it from time to time to feel the
taste and also to make their minds feel good.
The other reason that makes people use tobacco is to be accepted by their peers. If a
person changes peer group, he/she may find the use of tobacco as a barrier to acceptance (Manoj
2014, 458). This means the person may either choose to join the group and start using this
substance or not join the group. Because people have the perception of “I will take it only once”
the person becomes an addict after several trials.
People also tend to have the perception that use of tobacco addresses various health
issues such as weight loss, and this is one of the reasons that is making the use of this substance
to be high among the people with big bodies. People also believe that taking tobacco makes them
to look great and fit perfectly the class of colleagues who use it.
The significance of using tobacco
According to Manoj & Taj (2016, p. 125), tobacco contains a stimulant known as
nicotine which leads to strong physical and psychological chemical addition. The world health
organization (WHO) reports indicating that the stimulant product found in tobacco can be as

Research methods for social epidemiology 9
addictive as cocaine or heroin. Research as implied that dependence on this substance is most
potent when the tobacco smoke is inhaled into the lungs and may lead to various health issues
associated with the respiratory system (Marya & Yih-Ing, 2014 p. 56). One of the reasons that
make nicotine to be termed as dangerous to human health is that it is typically eliminated from
the respiratory system within 2 to 3 days. It is also reported that physical and psychological
withdrawals systems associated with this substance can last for months or even years.
According to Manoj (2015, p. 78), tobacco is a substance that comprises thousands of
chemicals which have been identified as poisons and carcinogenic. From these toxins, nicotine is
singled out as the most hazardous substance. Other dangerous products found in this substance
comprise arsenic, cyanide, carbon monoxide ammonia bromide and formaldehyde.
The health effects of tobacco are associated with direct smoking, and also with passive
smoking. When the smoke or any tobacco-related substance is inhaled, several chemicals get into
different body systems through the blood. This means that the substance harms not only the
lungs but also other parts of the body.
One of the parts affected by this substance in both male and females is the eyes.
According to Rajesh (2012, p. 46), various chemicals in tobacco can trigger damage to the
macula, which represents the most critical and sensitive part of the retina. The substances can
also make the tiny blood vessels to burst through the macula and trigger permanent damage. Use
of tobacco-related products such as smoking cigarettes can also cause morphological and
functional alterations to the lens and retina because of its atherosclerotic as well as thrombotic
impacts on the ocular capillaries.

Research methods for social epidemiology 10
In the digestive system, the use of tobacco is termed as a risk factor for all types of cancer
which affect the larynx, oral cavity and also the oesophagus. It has also been identified that
heavy smokers, like for example, people who consume one pack of cigarettes per day are prone
to laryngeal cancer with mortality risks of between twenty to thirty times greater than people
who do not smoke.
Tobacco use has also been associated with heart and blood circulation issues. The two
main impact of using tobacco on blood circulation include an increase in heart rate and increase
in blood pressure. The reason that leads to these issues is that nicotine, which is found in
tobacco, attacks the nerves directly, hence making the heart rate to increase and the blood vessels
to constrict. Because the lungs of people who use this substance are mostly filled with the
dangerous fumes, the heart is forced to pump harder to make sufficient oxygen to reach all parts
of the body. The use of tobacco, especially though smoking is also related to increase in
cholesterol and high levels of fibrinogen in the blood. Some of the illnesses caused by this
substance use include aneurysm, coronary heart disease, stroke, Peripheral vascular disease
among others.
Benn & Alexandra (2013, p. 157) affirms that one of the significant impacts of tobacco
use is affecting the functionality of the lungs. The tar contained in the cigarette smoke is believed
to be dangerous because it damages the cells in the airways of the lungs. This eventually causes
cancer of the lung or larynx. Several factors that lead to lung cancer include the daily dose of this
substance, the nature in which tobacco is used, and the duration of regular smoking.
The use of tobacco is also linked to the accumulation of fatty substances in the carotid
artery, which is the primary neck artery that plays the role of supplying blood to the brain. The
accumulation of these substances in this artery has been identified as one of the significant

Research methods for social epidemiology 11
factors that lead to stroke. Other dangerous elements of tobacco include; nicotine increases blood
pressure, cigarette smoke makes the blood thicker and increase the chances of clotting, carbon
monoxide decreases the amount of oxygen which the blood is supposed to carry to the brain,
among others.
Apart from these effects, tobacco is also related to other impacts which include an
increase in crime, especially for the low-income smoker. The primary reason that triggers this
aspect is that this substance is addictive and when a person lacks money which can assist him/her
to access it, he/she engages in criminal activities to attain funds that can make him purchase the
substance.
In women, tobacco use affects the mother and her baby before, during, and even after
delivery. This results because various substances contained in this substance such as nicotine,
carbon monoxide, and other poisonous products are carried through the bloodstream to the fetus.
According to Alastair (2012, p. 99 ), the effects of these poisons increases the baby’s heart rate,
raises the possibilities of miscarriage and stillbirth, minimizes the level of oxygen for the mother
and the baby, and increase the chances of delivering a premature baby or one born with low birth
weight.
Aim
The aim of this study is to find out the health implications of using tobacco.
Research questions
What are the key drivers of using cigarettes and other tobacco related products?
What are the major health issues that result from the use of tobacco?

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Objectives
To find out the health implications of using tobacco
To determine the health implications of using tobacco

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