Abstract
Introduction: Objectives of this study were to determine retail and neighborhood characteristics associated with smokeless tobacco (ST) product promotion, price promotion, and storefront advertising among retailers in Oklahoma.Methods: In this statewide point-of-sale study, we collected data from 1,354 ST retailers. Using store characteristics and census tract information, we estimated summary statistics and adjusted prevalence ratios during 2019–2020.Results: Of ST retailers audited, 11.0% demonstrated ST youth promotion, 43.0% ST price promotions, and 19.6% ST storefront advertising. The adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) for convenience stores was higher for all three ST strategies: youth promotion (aPR = 3.4, 95% CI 1.9, 6.2), price promotion (aPR = 3.8, 95% CI 2.9, 5.0), and storefront advertising (aPR=16.4, 95% CI 6.7, 40.3) compared to other store types. Metropolitan tobacco retailers had higher aPRs for youth promotion (aPR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.12 2.6) and storefront advertising (aPR = 1.5, 95% CI 1.2, 1.9).Conclusions: Findings of this study suggest there are currently ample opportunities for youth and adults at risk for tobacco initiation to be exposed to ST products in the retail environment. Convenience stores, more likely to be found and utilized in rural areas compared to metropolitan areas, are disproportionately more likely to engage in marketing strategies that could lure youth into trying smokeless tobacco.
Highlights
Objectives of this study were to determine retail and neighborhood characteristics associated with smokeless tobacco (ST) product promotion, price promotion, and storefront advertising among retailers in Oklahoma
The adjusted prevalence ratio for convenience stores was higher for all three ST strategies: youth promotion, price promotion, and storefront advertising compared to other store types
Metropolitan tobacco retailers had higher adjusted prevalence ratio (aPR) for youth promotion and storefront advertising
Summary
Objectives of this study were to determine retail and neighborhood characteristics associated with smokeless tobacco (ST) product promotion, price promotion, and storefront advertising among retailers in Oklahoma. At least 303 million people (5.6% of the population) 15 years and older are current ST users [13] This high level of ST use is a disturbing trend because has ST use proven harmful [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8], it can serve as a tobacco initiation product [14]. The number and location of tobacco retail outlets in a community, in proximity to schools, increases the availability of tobacco products, the likelihood of tobacco experimentation among minors [19], and the sale of tobacco to minors [21]. Studies have demonstrated a higher density of tobacco retailers in communities at greatest risk; those with low income, and with higher proportions of non-whites [18, 19, 22,23,24,25]
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