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Articles

Tobacco Outlet Density, Cigarette Smoking Prevalence, and Demographics at the County Level of Analysis

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Pages 1627-1635 | Published online: 03 Jul 2009
 

Abstract

The geographic associations between tobacco outlet density, cigarette smoking prevalence, and demographic variables at the county unit of analysis were examined. End of year 2002 data were derived from licenses of 4745 tobacco selling retail outlets in all 99 Iowa counties. The 2000 census and the 2002 Iowa Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (IBRFSS) were used to gather data for demographic variables and smoking prevalence rates. The IBRFSS telephone interviews were conducted from January through December in 2002 with a random sample of 3662 Iowa residents. As expected, results showed that counties with higher density of tobacco outlets and smoking prevalence also tended to have a higher percentage of minority residents. Contrary to previous studies, however, counties with higher tobacco outlet density and smoking prevalence also tended to have higher median household income. Findings are discussed in light of the state's low income inequality. Implications of the study and directions for future research are discussed.

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Notes on contributors

N. Andrew Peterson

N. Andrew Peterson, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health, at the University of Iowa. His research examines the mechanisms through which community organizations promote empowerment and improve community health. He has published on empowerment theory, community organizing, youth development, and substance abuse prevention. His recent work includes development of a nomological network of organizational empowerment. He was appointed by the Commissioner of New Jersey's Department of Community Affairs to the Advisory Committee of the Center for Hispanic Policy, Research and Development and serves on the Advisory Board of the National Resource Center on Child Welfare Training and Evaluation at the University of Louisville. He also served on the Evaluation Advisory Boards of the BE2: School-to-Career Regional Partnership and the Community-Backed Anti-Drug Sales Tax in Kansas City, Missouri. He is a member of the American Evaluation Association, American Public Health Association, the Group Psychology and Group Psychotherapy Association, the National Association of Social Workers, and the Society for Community Research and Action.

John B. Lowe

John B. Lowe, Dr.P.H., MPH, FAHPA, FAAHB, is professor and head of the Department of Community and Behavioral Health in the College of Public Health at the University of Iowa. He is currently scientific advisor for the Iowa Department of Public Health Division of Tobacco Use, Prevention, and Control. Dr. Lowe received his doctorate in Community Health/Behavioral Science from the University of Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health. He is a fellow of the Australia Health Promotion Association and a fellow of the American Academy of Health Behavior. Dr. Lowe also holds an honorary professorship at the University of Queensland, School of Population Health. Dr. Lowe's research interests are in cancer control and prevention and injury prevention. Over the past 24 years, he has worked in the cessation of smoking among adults, pregnant women, and the prevention and cessation of smoking among youth. More recently, he has worked in the prevention and early detection of melanoma and nonmelanotic skin cancer. Dr. Lowe continues to focus on community development to make sustainable, long-term changes to promote health. He has received numerous grants from the National Institutes of Health, the Commonwealth of Australia, state and local groups, private foundations, and corporations. He is widely published and currently serves on a number of editorial boards of national and international journals.

Robert J. Reid

Robert J. Reid, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Child Studies, College of Education and Human Services, at Montclair State University. He received his Ph.D. in social policy, planning, and policy analysis from Columbia University in 1999. His research interests in the areas of substance-abuse and HIV/AIDS prevention have emanated from his employment as a social worker in both outpatient and inpatient substance-abuse settings. He has published in the areas of applied policy analysis as it pertains to HIV/AIDS prevention initiatives, drug policy reform issues, and strengthening substance abuse prevention programming efforts. He has also served as a technical advisor to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) National Registry of Effective Prevention Programs Project (NREPP). He has received funding from the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) to develop and coordinate comprehensive community-based substance abuse and HIV prevention services targeting underserved racial and ethnic minority youth in the city of Paterson, New Jersey.

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