Abstract
OBJECTIVESThis study aimed to examine whether the regional density of tobacco outlets in Korea was associated with the likelihood of attempting to quit among smokersMETHODSThis study was designed as a secondary data analysis of a cross-sectional study. Data from the 2015 Korean Community Health Survey and tobacco outlet registrations in 17 metropolitan cities and provinces with 254 communities in Korea were used for the analysis. In total, 41,013 current smokers (≥19 years of age) were included. Multi-level logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate regional differences associated with smokers’ attempts to quit and to evaluate the effects of individual and regional characteristics on quit attempts.RESULTSHigher tobacco outlet density was associated with lower odds of attempting to quit. Smokers who resided in districts with the highest tobacco outlet density were 18% less likely to attempt quitting (odds ratio, 0.82; 95% confidence interval, 0.70 to 0.98) than smokers who resided in the regions with the lowest tobacco outlet density (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.030).CONCLUSIONSThis study showed that quit attempts were related to community-level factors, such as tobacco outlet density, as well as other individual factors. These findings support the implementation of national policies restricting the number of tobacco outlets within communities or zones and limiting tobacco marketing in tobacco outlets.
Highlights
Over 7 million people die worldwide due to smoking every year [1]
This study showed that quit attempts were related to community-level factors, such as tobacco outlet density, as well as other individual factors
These findings support the implementation of national policies restricting the number of tobacco outlets within communities or zones and limiting tobacco marketing in tobacco outlets
Summary
In South Korea, the smoking prevalence among men is reported to be 38.1% [2]. Environmental factors can promote smoking and hinder smoking cessation [4]. The presence of tobacco outlets is an environmental factor that increases tobacco availability. These outlets are a key location for tobacco marketing, where individuals can access and purchase tobacco. In South Korea, tobacco retailers sell tobacco products alongside other goods and services. Anyone may freely enter tobacco outlets, where they are exposed to tobacco advertisements. Despite these risks, tobacco outlets have not been recognized in tobacco control policies as an important factor associated with smoking and smoking cessation. To prevent smoking and create an environment that encourages smoking cessation, it is necessary to consider the effects of tobacco outlets on smokers
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