Geospatial Patterns of Alcohol and Tobacco Use in India: A Cluster Analysis of NFHS 4

Cluster analysis explains statistical procedures to explore segmentation within complex data sets. Alcohol and tobacco use are the major public health issues in India. Knowing the geographic distribution of alcohol and tobacco use is crucial in identifying high-priority healthcare intervention areas. Thus, the study aims to arrange Indian states as per alcohol and tobacco use. NFHS-4 data for 28 Indian states were used for analysis. The input parameters included – alcohol and tobacco use among men and women in 28 Indian states. Ward linkage algorithm along with hierarchical cluster analysis method was used. Minimum 10% cut off was set for clustering. States with similar consumption patterns were grouped and presented on a dendrogram. Results suggest that the geospatial patterns of alcohol and tobacco use were primarily concentrated in north-eastern India. Targeted interventions discouraging addictive behaviours and promoting a healthy lifestyle are recommended for these geographical hotspots of alcohol and tobacco use in India.