Tobacco Cultivation with Socioenvironmental Health Implications in Livelihood Vulnerability of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan

Tobacco Cultivation with Socioenvironmental Health Implications in Livelihood Vulnerability of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Tobacco Cultivation with Socioenvironmental Health Implications in Livelihood Vulnerability of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan Asim Zubair, Dong Haijun, Lingling Zhang, Sonia Fatima This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-7788444/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Introduction: In Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), tobacco farming is a significant cash crop that both sustains rural livelihoods and poses significant health and socio-environmental problems. Although it generates revenue and jobs, a high reliance on tobacco production has resulted in health hazards, ecological degradation, and heightened susceptibility to livelihood threats. Methods The socio-environmental effects of tobacco cultivation in KPK were investigated in this study using a mixed-methods methodology. Quantitative data from a survey of 300 farmers was examined using regression analysis, indices (EDI, HRI), and descriptive statistics. Ten key informant interviews also provided qualitative insights that were triangulated with survey results and subjected to theme analysis. Results Regression analysis revealed that livelihood vulnerability was decreased by sustainable practices (β = -0.195, p < 0.001) and increased by ecological impacts (β = 0.401, p < 0.001) and health hazards (β = 0.370, p < 0.001). Deforestation (β = 0.397), pesticide use (β = 0.394), and fertilizer use (β = 0.310) were the main causes of ecological deterioration (all p < 0.001). Long working hours (β = 0.196), leaf touch (β = 0.343), and pesticide exposure (β = 0.384) were associated with health hazards, whereas protective gear decreased risks (β = -0.163, p < 0.01). Qualitative results validated policy gaps, ecological harm, and tobacco dependence. Conclusion Because tobacco production in KPK combines income dependence with environmental degradation and occupational health risks, it makes livelihood vulnerability worse. Despite the short-term financial gain, the long-term effects compromise environmental sustainability and household resilience. Reducing vulnerability and improving the welfare of farming communities requires promoting crop variety, sustainable agricultural methods, safeguards, and legislative changes. Tobacco Cultivation Livelihood Vulnerability Socio-Environmental Health Risks Pakistan Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-7788444","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":533963869,"identity":"e155cf36-6e1d-4139-bed9-85af05acb45f","order_by":0,"name":"Asim 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Pakistan","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":true,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Tobacco Cultivation, Livelihood Vulnerability, Socio-Environmental, Health Risks, Pakistan","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7788444/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-7788444/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003ch2\u003eIntroduction:\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn Pakistan, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), tobacco farming is a significant cash crop that both sustains rural livelihoods and poses significant health and socio-environmental problems. Although it generates revenue and jobs, a high reliance on tobacco production has resulted in health hazards, ecological degradation, and heightened susceptibility to livelihood threats.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eMethods\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe socio-environmental effects of tobacco cultivation in KPK were investigated in this study using a mixed-methods methodology. Quantitative data from a survey of 300 farmers was examined using regression analysis, indices (EDI, HRI), and descriptive statistics. Ten key informant interviews also provided qualitative insights that were triangulated with survey results and subjected to theme analysis.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eResults\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eRegression analysis revealed that livelihood vulnerability was decreased by sustainable practices (β = -0.195, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) and increased by ecological impacts (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.401, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001) and health hazards (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.370, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001). Deforestation (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.397), pesticide use (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.394), and fertilizer use (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.310) were the main causes of ecological deterioration (all p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.001). Long working hours (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.196), leaf touch (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.343), and pesticide exposure (β\u0026thinsp;=\u0026thinsp;0.384) were associated with health hazards, whereas protective gear decreased risks (β = -0.163, p\u0026thinsp;\u0026lt;\u0026thinsp;0.01). Qualitative results validated policy gaps, ecological harm, and tobacco dependence.\u003c/p\u003e\u003ch2\u003eConclusion\u003c/h2\u003e\u003cp\u003eBecause tobacco production in KPK combines income dependence with environmental degradation and occupational health risks, it makes livelihood vulnerability worse. Despite the short-term financial gain, the long-term effects compromise environmental sustainability and household resilience. Reducing vulnerability and improving the welfare of farming communities requires promoting crop variety, sustainable agricultural methods, safeguards, and legislative changes.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Tobacco Cultivation with Socioenvironmental Health Implications in Livelihood Vulnerability of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-10-27 17:40:37","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-7788444/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"researchsquare","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"/submission","title":"Research Square","twitterHandle":"researchsquare","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"","reportingPortfolio":"","inReviewEnabled":false,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"39fd595c-041a-412b-9e6e-96bfc8226a59","owner":[],"postedDate":"October 27th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"posted","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-02-11T11:39:41+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2025-10-27 17:40:37","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-7788444","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-7788444","identity":"rs-7788444","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}