Tobacco retailer density and smoking behavior in a rural Australian jurisdiction without a tobacco retailer licensing system
- Baker, John, Masood, Mohd, Rahman, Muhammad Aziz, Thornton, Lukar, Begg, Stephen
- Authors: Baker, John , Masood, Mohd , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz , Thornton, Lukar , Begg, Stephen
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Tobacco Induced Diseases Vol. 19, no. (2021), p. 1-10
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- Description: INTRODUCTION An emerging body of research has developed around tobacco retailer density and its contribution to smoking behavior. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the association between tobacco retailer density and smoking behavior in a rural Australian jurisdiction without a tobacco retailer licensing system in place. METHODS A local government database (updated 2018) of listed tobacco retailers (n=93) was accessed and potential unlisted tobacco retailers (n=230) were added using online searches. All retailers (n=323) were visited in 2019 and GPS coordinates of retailers that sold tobacco (n=125) were assigned to suburbs in ArcMap. A community survey conducted in the Local Government Area provided smoking and sociodemographic data amongst adult respondents (n=8981). Associations between tobacco retailer density (calculated as the number of retailers per km2 based on respondents' suburb of residence) and daily, occasional and experimental smoking were assessed using multilevel logistic regression analysis. Separate models with and without covariates were undertaken. RESULTS Without adjusting for possible confounders, living in suburbs with greater retailer density did not increase the odds of daily smoking (OR=1.01; 95% CI: 0.92-1.12), occasional smoking (OR=1.05; 95% CI: 0.94-1.18), or experimental smoking (OR=0.98; 95% 0.92- 1.05). However, after adjustment, living in suburbs with greater retailer density increased the odds of occasional smoking behavior (AOR=1.37; 95% CI: 1.10-1.71) but not daily or experimental smoking. CONCLUSIONS This study found a significant positive association between tobacco retailer density and the likelihood of occasional smoking in a rural Australian jurisdiction without a tobacco retailer licensing system in place. The findings strengthen calls for the introduction of a comprehensive, positive tobacco retailer licensing system to provide a framework for improving compliance with legislation and to reduce the overall availability of tobacco products in the community. © 2021 Baker J. et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
- Authors: Baker, John , Masood, Mohd , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz , Thornton, Lukar , Begg, Stephen
- Date: 2021
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Tobacco Induced Diseases Vol. 19, no. (2021), p. 1-10
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: INTRODUCTION An emerging body of research has developed around tobacco retailer density and its contribution to smoking behavior. This cross-sectional study aimed to determine the association between tobacco retailer density and smoking behavior in a rural Australian jurisdiction without a tobacco retailer licensing system in place. METHODS A local government database (updated 2018) of listed tobacco retailers (n=93) was accessed and potential unlisted tobacco retailers (n=230) were added using online searches. All retailers (n=323) were visited in 2019 and GPS coordinates of retailers that sold tobacco (n=125) were assigned to suburbs in ArcMap. A community survey conducted in the Local Government Area provided smoking and sociodemographic data amongst adult respondents (n=8981). Associations between tobacco retailer density (calculated as the number of retailers per km2 based on respondents' suburb of residence) and daily, occasional and experimental smoking were assessed using multilevel logistic regression analysis. Separate models with and without covariates were undertaken. RESULTS Without adjusting for possible confounders, living in suburbs with greater retailer density did not increase the odds of daily smoking (OR=1.01; 95% CI: 0.92-1.12), occasional smoking (OR=1.05; 95% CI: 0.94-1.18), or experimental smoking (OR=0.98; 95% 0.92- 1.05). However, after adjustment, living in suburbs with greater retailer density increased the odds of occasional smoking behavior (AOR=1.37; 95% CI: 1.10-1.71) but not daily or experimental smoking. CONCLUSIONS This study found a significant positive association between tobacco retailer density and the likelihood of occasional smoking in a rural Australian jurisdiction without a tobacco retailer licensing system in place. The findings strengthen calls for the introduction of a comprehensive, positive tobacco retailer licensing system to provide a framework for improving compliance with legislation and to reduce the overall availability of tobacco products in the community. © 2021 Baker J. et al. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)
Tobacco retailer density and smoking behaviour : how are exposure and outcome measures classified? A systematic review
- Baker, John, Lenz, Katrin, Masood, Mohd, Rahman, Muhammad Aziz, Begg, Stephen
- Authors: Baker, John , Lenz, Katrin , Masood, Mohd , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz , Begg, Stephen
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: BMC Public Health Vol. 23, no. 1 (2023), p.
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- Description: Introduction: To date only a limited number of reviews have focused on how exposure and outcome measures are defined in the existing literature on associations between tobacco retailer density (‘density’) and smoking behaviour (‘smoking’). Therefore this systematic review classified and summarised how both density and smoking variables are operationalised in the existing literature, and provides several methodological recommendations for future density and smoking research. Methods: Two literature searches between March and April 2018 and April 2022 were conducted across 10 databases. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed and keyword database searches were undertaken. Studies were imported into Covidence. Cross-sectional studies that met the inclusion criteria were extracted and a quality assessment was undertaken. Studies were categorised according to the density measure used, and smoking was re-categorised using a modified classification tool. Results: Large heterogeneity was found in the operationalisation of both measures in the 47 studies included for analysis. Density was most commonly measured directly from geocoded locations using circular buffers at various distances (n = 14). After smoking was reclassified using a smoking classification tool, past-month smoking was the most common smoking type reported (n = 26). Conclusions: It is recommended that density is measured through length-distance and travel time using the street network and weighted (e.g. by the size of an area), or by using Kernel Density Estimates as these methods provide a more accurate measure of geographical to tobacco and e-cigarette retailer density. The consistent application of a smoking measures classification tool, such as the one developed for this systematic review, would enable better comparisons between studies. Future research should measure exposure and outcome measures in a way that makes them comparable with other studies. Implications: This systematic review provides a strong case for improving data collection and analysis methodologies in studies assessing tobacco retailer density and smoking behaviour to ensure that both exposure and outcome measures are clearly defined and captured. As large heterogeneity was found in the operationalisation of both density and smoking behaviour measures in the studies included for analysis, there is a need for future studies to capture, measure and classify exposure measures accurately, and to define outcome measures in a manner that makes them comparable with other studies. © 2023, BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.
- Authors: Baker, John , Lenz, Katrin , Masood, Mohd , Rahman, Muhammad Aziz , Begg, Stephen
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: BMC Public Health Vol. 23, no. 1 (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Introduction: To date only a limited number of reviews have focused on how exposure and outcome measures are defined in the existing literature on associations between tobacco retailer density (‘density’) and smoking behaviour (‘smoking’). Therefore this systematic review classified and summarised how both density and smoking variables are operationalised in the existing literature, and provides several methodological recommendations for future density and smoking research. Methods: Two literature searches between March and April 2018 and April 2022 were conducted across 10 databases. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were developed and keyword database searches were undertaken. Studies were imported into Covidence. Cross-sectional studies that met the inclusion criteria were extracted and a quality assessment was undertaken. Studies were categorised according to the density measure used, and smoking was re-categorised using a modified classification tool. Results: Large heterogeneity was found in the operationalisation of both measures in the 47 studies included for analysis. Density was most commonly measured directly from geocoded locations using circular buffers at various distances (n = 14). After smoking was reclassified using a smoking classification tool, past-month smoking was the most common smoking type reported (n = 26). Conclusions: It is recommended that density is measured through length-distance and travel time using the street network and weighted (e.g. by the size of an area), or by using Kernel Density Estimates as these methods provide a more accurate measure of geographical to tobacco and e-cigarette retailer density. The consistent application of a smoking measures classification tool, such as the one developed for this systematic review, would enable better comparisons between studies. Future research should measure exposure and outcome measures in a way that makes them comparable with other studies. Implications: This systematic review provides a strong case for improving data collection and analysis methodologies in studies assessing tobacco retailer density and smoking behaviour to ensure that both exposure and outcome measures are clearly defined and captured. As large heterogeneity was found in the operationalisation of both density and smoking behaviour measures in the studies included for analysis, there is a need for future studies to capture, measure and classify exposure measures accurately, and to define outcome measures in a manner that makes them comparable with other studies. © 2023, BioMed Central Ltd., part of Springer Nature.
Recycling timber waste into geopolymer cement bonded wood composites
- Gigar, Firesenay, Khennane, Amar, Liow, Jong-leng, Tekle, Biruk, Katoozi, Elmira
- Authors: Gigar, Firesenay , Khennane, Amar , Liow, Jong-leng , Tekle, Biruk , Katoozi, Elmira
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Construction and Building Materials Vol. 400, no. (2023), p.
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- Description: Addressing critical societal challenges, such as climate change, resource depletion, and environmental protection, requires sustainable management of resources. This study reports on the results of an experimental program using waste wood, including chromium copper arsenic (CCA) treated wood, to produce ambiently cured geopolymer cement bonded wood composites (WGC), and the results are very encouraging. The composite exhibited a reasonable compressive strength, which ranged between 7 and 27 MPa inversely corresponding to the amount of wood per binder ratio ranging between 0.1 and 0.4, conferring it the possibility of being used as a building material. The compressive strength of the composite with 40% wood chips showed the lowest compressive strength with values of 9.79, 7.29, and 7.92 MPa for decontaminated, CCA-treated, and non-CCA-treated wood chips, respectively. The results indicated that for all the wood per binder ratios, the use of decontaminated wood chips significantly improves the compressive, flexural, and specific strength of the composites, as well as their ductility, compared to non-decontaminated CCA-treated and non-CCA-treated wood chips. This paves the way for using wood waste in sustainability oriented product development and manufacturing. © 2023 The Author(s)
- Authors: Gigar, Firesenay , Khennane, Amar , Liow, Jong-leng , Tekle, Biruk , Katoozi, Elmira
- Date: 2023
- Type: Text , Journal article
- Relation: Construction and Building Materials Vol. 400, no. (2023), p.
- Full Text:
- Reviewed:
- Description: Addressing critical societal challenges, such as climate change, resource depletion, and environmental protection, requires sustainable management of resources. This study reports on the results of an experimental program using waste wood, including chromium copper arsenic (CCA) treated wood, to produce ambiently cured geopolymer cement bonded wood composites (WGC), and the results are very encouraging. The composite exhibited a reasonable compressive strength, which ranged between 7 and 27 MPa inversely corresponding to the amount of wood per binder ratio ranging between 0.1 and 0.4, conferring it the possibility of being used as a building material. The compressive strength of the composite with 40% wood chips showed the lowest compressive strength with values of 9.79, 7.29, and 7.92 MPa for decontaminated, CCA-treated, and non-CCA-treated wood chips, respectively. The results indicated that for all the wood per binder ratios, the use of decontaminated wood chips significantly improves the compressive, flexural, and specific strength of the composites, as well as their ductility, compared to non-decontaminated CCA-treated and non-CCA-treated wood chips. This paves the way for using wood waste in sustainability oriented product development and manufacturing. © 2023 The Author(s)
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