The neighbourhood effects of geographical access to tobacco retailers on individual smoking behaviour

• Published in: Journal of epidemiology and community health (1979) 2009-01, Vol.63 (1), p.69-77
• Main Authors: Pearce, J, Hiscock, R, Moon, G, Barnett, R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Cigarette smoking; Commerce - statistics & numerical data; Community health; Convenience stores; Disease models; Female; General aspects; Geographic information systems; Health Behavior; Health surveys; Humans; Influence; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Modeling; Neighborhoods; New Zealand - epidemiology; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Research reports; Residence Characteristics; Smoking; Smoking - epidemiology; Social Environment; Socioeconomic factors; Socioeconomics; Speed limits; Supermarkets; Tobacco; Tobacco Products; Tobacco smoking; Tobacco, tobacco smoking; Toxicology; Urban design; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0143-005X; 1470-2738; 1470-2738
• DOI: 10.1136/jech.2007.070656

Objective:To investigate whether neighbourhood measures of geographical accessibility to outlets selling tobacco (supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol stations) are associated with individual smoking behaviour in New Zealand.Methods:Using geographical information systems, travel times from the population-weighted centroid of each neighbourhood to the closest outlet selling tobacco were calculated for all 38 350 neighbourhoods across New Zealand. These measures were appended to the 2002/03 New Zealand Health Survey, a national survey of 12 529 adults. Two-level logistic regression models were fitted to examine the effects of neighbourhood locational access upon individual smoking behaviour after controlling for potential individual- and neighbourhood-level confounding factors, including deprivation and urban/rural status.Results:After controlling for individual-level demographic and socioeconomic variables, individuals living in the quartiles of neighbourhoods with the best access to supermarkets (OR 1.23, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.42) and convenience stores (OR 1.19, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.38) had a higher odds of smoking compared with individuals in the worst access quartiles. However, the association between neighbourhood accessibility to supermarkets and convenience stores was not apparent once other neighbourhood-level variables (deprivation and rurality) were included.Conclusions:At the national level, there is little evidence to suggest that, after adjustment for neighbourhood deprivation, better locational access to tobacco retail provision in New Zealand is associated with individual-level smoking behaviour.