To Determine the Initiator Factor for Areca Catechu (Areca Nut) Usege Among Residents of Karachi, Pakistan

Objectives: The objectives of this study are as follows:-

1. To determine frequency of Areca Catechu consumption among patients visiting different dental hospitals in Karachi
2.The most common form of Areca Catechu Consumed
3. The major Initiator for the indulgence of Areca Catechu Consumption
4. Knowledge about the adverse affects of Areca Catechu consumption
Methods: An ethical approval was soughed from the ethical review committee present in the Liaqauat College of medicine and Dentistry. A cross sectional observational study was conducted in the various dental hospitals of Karachi. Patients aged 15-30 yrs were selected for the study. A close ended questionnaire comprising of twenty five questions was distributed to 1200 patients of whom 519 participants responded to the questionnaire. The participants which were unable to understand English were provided with an alternate questionnaire written in Urdu. The data was obtained and statistically analyzed through SPSS 20.
Results: The use of areca nut in southern part of Pakistan, i.e. Karachi is among individuals seem to be quite common among the residents of the city. The use of areca nut in southern part of Pakistan, i.e. Karachi, seems to be quite common among the residents of the city. As the city is the largest city of Pakistan it accommodates people belonging to various ethnicities. The results of this study suggest that peer pressure stress and curiosity are the primary initiator factor for the initiation of the chewing of areca nut. Most individuals agreed to the fact that they knew that the habit of chewing areca nut leads to oral cancer. This was astonishing to find out that most of the chewers initiated at an early age i.e. below 12 years. It was also observed that a large majority of the chewers are also involved in tobacco useage either through smoking or smokeless.
Conclusions: Areca nut usage can be highly attributed to high prevalence of oral cancer in Pakistan. Even though most of the participants agreed that they knew that chewing areca nut leads to oral cancer yet they were consuming it leading to a state of pardox.

Since there are no laws regarding the prohibition of areca nut in Pakistan the sale of this product in various form is in full swing and it is disturbing to find out that most of the users start at an early age of adolescence.