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Review
. 2019 Jan;28(1):27-33.
doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2017-054065. Epub 2018 Mar 8.

Tobacco outlet density and adolescents' cigarette smoking: a meta-analysis

Laura J Finan  1 , Sharon Lipperman-Kreda  1 , Melissa Abadi  2 , Joel W Grube  1 , Emily Kaner  1 , Anna Balassone  1 , Andrew Gaidus  1
Affiliations
Review

Tobacco outlet density and adolescents' cigarette smoking: a meta-analysis

Laura J Finan et al. Tob Control. 2019 Jan.

Abstract

Objective: We conducted meta-analyses of studies that investigated the associations between tobacco outlet density around homes and schools and adolescents' past-month cigarette smoking.

Data sources: Systematic literature searches of eight databases were carried out in February 2017. Searches were not limited by date, language, country or peer-reviewed status.

Study selection: After screening for quality, studies that examined the relationship between tobacco outlet density and adolescents' past-month smoking were selected for inclusion.

Data extraction: Two investigators screened study abstracts and full texts and independently extracted data. Consensus was reached at each stage.

Data synthesis: Random-effects meta-analyses were conducted on 11 studies that provided 13 effect sizes. Results showed that there was a significant association between tobacco outlet density around homes and adolescents' past-month smoking behaviour, with an overall effect size of OR=1.08 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.13; P<0.001; I2=0%). For density around schools, the association was not statistically significant (OR=1.01, 95% CI 0.98 to 1.03; P=0.53; I2=39%).

Conclusions: These findings suggest that exposure to tobacco outlets near home environments may be important for understanding adolescents' past-month smoking. Restricting access to tobacco outlets and controlling the number of outlets in residential areas may be an effective preventive strategy to help reduce adolescents' smoking.

Keywords: environment; prevention; public policy.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Flow diagram depicting the literature reviewed for inclusion in the meta-analyses
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Forest plot for effects of tobacco outlet density around schools (top) and homes (bottom) on adolescents’ past-month cigarette smoking.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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