Table 2 Tobacco consumption among decedents in relation to age groups Age groups Men (n = 1385) Women (n = 837) Total (n = 2222) 214 (29.1) 313 (74.0)* 66 (34.0) 30 (49.2)* 623 (45.0) n 462 247 98 30 837 80 (17.2) 25 (10.1) 14 (14.2) 6 (20.0)* 125 (15.0) n 1197 667 287 91 2222 294 (24.6) 338 (50.7) 80 (27.9) 36 (39.6) 748 (33.7) n 735 420 189 61 1385 n 264 345 290 277 209 1385 163 221 169 159 125 837 2222 Tobacco 153(58.0) 176(51.0) 138(47.6) 118(42.6) 107(51.2) 692(50.0) 22(13.5) 34(15.4) 19(11.2) 31(19.5)* 27(21.6)* 133(15.9) 825(37.1) Notes: Values are no. (%) of decedents consuming tobacco; *P < 0.05, P value obtained by Chi square test. common among social classes 4 and 5 compared with higher The incidence of tobacco consumption among decedents social classes. Causes of death by social class and tobacco expiring due to various diseases related to circulatory, consumption are given in Table 3. In our study, circulatory pulmonary, and malignant causes are given in Table 4. The diseases were the common cause of death in both sexes, ie, incidence of tobacco users was signiﬁcantly greater among 29.3% in men, 28.6% in women, respectively. decedents expiring due to stroke, heart attack and sudden Malignant diseases were also major causes of death in both cardiac death (death occurring within 1 hour of the onset men (5.5%) as well as in women (6.4%). Chronic bronchitis of symptoms) in both sexes, compared to nonusers among and asthma as the causes of death were noted among 7.0% these decedents. Tobacco use was also signiﬁcantly more (n = 97) men and 7.7% (n = 65) women. Circulatory diseases common among decedents due to cancers of the lung, oral and diabetes as the cause of death were observed in 31.3% (n cavity, and liver in men and lung, oral cavity, stomach, and = 695) of the decedents. Other causes of death such as infec- breast in women. Similarly, tobacco users were signiﬁcantly tions (41.1%, n = 915), injury (14.0%, n = 313), pregnancy and more common among decedents due to chronic bronchitis prenatal (0.72%, n = 15), miscellaneous (9.12%, n = 202) were and asthma. observed among social classes 4 and 5, in both sexes (Table Comparing tobacco consumption among decedents in 3). Social classes 1–3 were signiﬁcantly associated with deaths relation to cause of death determined that smoking, chew- due to circulatory diseases in both sexes compared with social ing, and smoking as well as chewing were independently classes 4 and 5. However, deaths due to cancers were sig- associated with circulatory, pulmonary (chronic bronchitis niﬁcantly more common among social class 1 women (breast and asthma), and malignant causes of death without such an cancer) without such an association in men (Table 3). association with other causes of mortality (Table 5). Table 3 Tobacco consumption among decedents due to various causes by social classes Social classes,1–5. Malignant Chronic bronchitis Singh et al 25–34 35–44 45–54 >55 Total SES-1 SES-2 SES-3 SES-4 SES-5 Total SES-1 SES-2 SES-3 SES-4 SES-5 Total Grand total 180 Note: *P < 0.04 by comparison of SES 1–3 with SES 4, 5 and men and women; n = additions of circulatory, malignant, chronic bronchitis and asthma, and other causes of death excluding tobacco. Abbreviations: SES, socioeconomic status. Circulatory Men, n (%) 119(45.1)* 158(45.8)* 95(32.8)* 30(10.8) 4(1.9) 406(29.3) Women, n (%) 80(49.1)* 108(48.9)* 37(21.9)* 10(6.3) 5(4.0) 240(28.7) 646(29.1) 16(6.1) 16(4.6) 19(6.6) 15(5.4) 11(5.3) 77(5.6) 16(9.8)* 12(5.4) 12(7.1) 10(6.3) 4(3.2) 54(6.5) 131(5.9) 18(6.8) 20(5.8) 22(7.6) 18(6.5) 19(9.1) 97(7.0) 12 (7.4) 16 (7.2) 10 (5.9) 17 (10.7)* 10 (8.0)* 65 (7.8) 162(7.3) Others 111(42.0) 151(43.4) 154(53.1) 214 (77.3)* 175 (83.7*) 805 (58.1) 55 (33.7) 85(38.5) 110 (65.0) 122 (76.7)* 106 (84.8)* 478 (57.1) 1283 (57.7) International Journal of COPD 2007:2(2)