IARC 60th Anniversary - 19-21 May 2026
Session : 20/05/26 - Posters
Reducing Tobacco-Related Cancer Risk in an Indigenous Population Through Long-Term Community-Based Counselling: An 8-Year Follow-up Study
FRANCIS D. 1, SAMPOORNAM PAPE REDDY S. 2, JENA P. 1, AMARAL MENDES R. 3,4,5,6
1 School of Public Health, KIIT Deemed to be University,, Bhubaneswar, India; 2 Research and Referral Centre, New Delhi, India; 3 RISE-Health, Department of Community Medicine, Health Information and Decision (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal., Porto, Portugal; 4 Laboratory of Personalized Medicine, Department of Community Medicine, Health Information and Decision (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal., Porto, Portugal; 5 Department of Community Medicine, Health Information and Decision (MEDCIDS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Rua Doutor Plácido da Costa, 4200-450 Porto, Portugal., Porto, Portugal; 6 Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH 44106-7342, USA., Porto, Portugal
Background
Low- and middle-income countries bear a disproportionate burden of tobacco-related cancers, particularly among Indigenous and socioeconomically marginalized populations. Structural barriers, cultural norms, and limited access to preventive services amplify exposure to tobacco-related carcinogens and undermine the effectiveness of conventional cancer prevention strategies.
Objective
To evaluate the long-term impact of a low-cost, community-based tobacco cessation and cancer awareness intervention on tobacco-related cancer risk behaviours among an Indigenous tribal population in India.
Methods
A longitudinal community-based follow-up study was conducted among Malayali tribes residing in Yelagiri Hills, Tamil Nadu. Baseline assessment in 2010 included 660 adults evaluated using structured questionnaires and standardized oral examinations. Between 2010 and 2018, repeated brief tobacco cessation counselling and cancer awareness sessions were delivered at three-month intervals. In 2018, follow-up assessment was conducted among 2,185 adults using comparable methods. Temporal changes in tobacco use prevalence and patterns were assessed.
Results
Tobacco use prevalence declined markedly over the 8-year period, from 45.4% at baseline to 32.8% at follow-up, representing a substantial population-level reduction following sustained intervention. Reductions were observed across both smoked and smokeless tobacco forms. Improved awareness of tobacco-related cancer risk accompanied these behavioural changes, despite persistent educational and economic disadvantages within the study population.
Impact
Sustained, community-based tobacco cessation counselling represents a feasible and scalable cancer prevention strategy in low-resource Indigenous settings. This intervention model addresses critical cancer prevention gaps in LMICs by reducing exposure to established carcinogens and supports equity-focused approaches aligned with global cancer control priorities.