Differential Relationship between Tobacco Control Policies and U.S. Adult Current Smoking by Poverty

Lauren M. Dutra, Matthew C. Farrelly, James Nonnemaker, Brian Bradfield, Jennifer Gaber, Minal Patel and Elizabeth C. Hair
Additional contact information
Lauren M. Dutra: Center for Health Policy Science and Tobacco Research, RTI International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, Durham, NC 27709, USA
Matthew C. Farrelly: Center for Health Policy Science and Tobacco Research, RTI International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, Durham, NC 27709, USA
James Nonnemaker: Center for Health Policy Science and Tobacco Research, RTI International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, Durham, NC 27709, USA
Jennifer Gaber: Center for Health Policy Science and Tobacco Research, RTI International, 3040 East Cornwallis Road, Durham, NC 27709, USA
Minal Patel: Schroeder Institute, Truth Initiative, 900 G Street Northwest, Fourth Floor, Washington, DC 20001, USA
Elizabeth C. Hair: Schroeder Institute, Truth Initiative, 900 G Street Northwest, Fourth Floor, Washington, DC 20001, USA

IJERPH, 2019, vol. 16, issue 21, 1-16

Abstract: The study’s purpose was to identify differences in the relationship between tobacco control policies and smoking by poverty. We matched state smoke-free air law coverage (SFALs), tobacco control funding (TCF), and cigarette taxes with individual current smoking and demographics from supplements to the Current Population Survey (1985–2015). We regressed (logistic) smoking on policy variables, poverty (<138% of poverty line versus ≥138% of poverty line), interactions of policy and poverty, and covariates, presenting beta coefficients instead of odds ratios because it is difficult to interpret interactions using odds ratios (they are ratios of odds ratios). We coded SFALs as (1) proportion of state covered by 100% workplace, restaurant and bar laws (SFAL-All) or (2) proportion of state covered by workplace laws (SFAL-WP) and proportion covered by restaurant or bar laws (SFAL-RB). In the SFAL-All model, SFAL-All (Beta coeff: −0.03, 95% CI: −0.06, −0.002), tax (Coeff: −0.06, 95% CI: −0.07, −0.05), and TCF (Coeff: −0.01, 95% CI: −0.01, −0.001) were associated with less smoking. In this model, the interaction of SFAL-All by poverty was significant (Coeff: 0.08, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.13). In the SFAL-WP/RB model, SFAL-RB (Coeff: −0.05, 95% CI: −0.08, −0.02), tax (Coeff: −0.05, 95% CI: −0.06, −0.04), and TCF (Coeff: −0.01, 95% CI: −0.01, −0.00) were significant. In the same model, SFAL-WP (Coeff: 0.09, 95% CI: 0.03, 0.15), SFAL-RB (Coeff: −0.14, 95% CI: −0.19, −0.09), and TCF (Coeff: 0.01, 95% CI: 0.00, 0.02) interacted with poverty. Tax by poverty was of borderline significance in this model (Coeff = 0.02, 95% CI: −0.00, 0.04, p = 0.050). Among adults, SFALs, TCF, and tax were associated with less current smoking, and SFALs and TCF had differential relationships with smoking by poverty.

Keywords: smoking; cigarettes; poverty; policy; tax; tobacco control funding; clean indoor air laws; smoke-free air laws (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2019
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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