Objectives: To study if receptivity and exposure to tobacco marketing are correlated with tobacco use and psychosocial risk factors for tobacco use among a sample of urban Indian youth.
Methods: Analysis of cross-sectional survey data from Project MYTRI, a group randomized intervention trial, in Delhi and Chennai, India, collected from sixth and eighth graders (n=11,642), in 32 schools in 2004.
Results: Exposure to tobacco advertisements and receptivity to tobacco marketing were significantly related to increased tobacco use among students.
Conclusion: This association suggests the need to strengthen policy and program-based interventions in India to reduce the influence of such exposures.