Measurement of Product Display in Licensed Tobacco Retail Outlets

Juster, Harlan

Thursday, August 16, 2012: 2:00 PM

2503B (Kansas City Convention Center)

Dr. Harlan Juster, Ph.D. , Bureau of Chronic Disease Evaluation and Research, NYS Department of Health, Albany, NY

Carol Schmitt, Ph.D. , Public Health Policy Research Program, RTI, International, Research Triangle Park, NC

Kimberly Watson, BS , Public Health Policy Research Program, RTI, International, Research Triangle Park, NC

Elizabeth Anker, B.S. , Tobacco Control Program, NYS Department of Health, Albany, NY

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this presentation attendees will be able to:

Attendees will understand the importance of tobacco product displays as an industry tool and the need for policy to regulate these. Attendees will be able to describe a reliable and valid method of measuring tobacco product displays. Attendees will have access to baseline data on tobacco product displays.

Cross Cutting Program Area(s): Tobacco Industry and Tobacco Control Policies

Audience:

The intended audience is evaluation and research staff affiliated with tobacco control programs whose present or future work focuses on tobacco retail outlets and characteristics of the tobacco point of sale.

Key Points:

The Tobacco Control Act provided states and communities with opportunities to regulate tobacco industry marketing at the point of sale. New York’s community contractors educate the public and policymakers about the need to restrict tobacco industry marketing through policies that will decrease exposure to tobacco product displays. Earlier observational surveys of tobacco retailers did not measure characteristics of product displays.

We developed, tested and implemented new methods that validly and reliably estimate the amount of tobacco products displayed in New York stores. Observers estimated the proportion of space behind the counter covered by tobacco products and the height and width of the tobacco display area in each of 3,945 randomly selected tobacco retailers. Inter-rater reliability was moderate to high. 82% of retailers devoted more than 50% of the space behind the checkout counter to tobacco products and the average store contained 31.7 square feet devoted to tobacco product displays. Additional data will be provided on the characteristics of tobacco product displays in New York.

Educational Experience:

The audience will be shown product displays, standardized methods used to measure them, and baseline outcome data.

Benefits:

The audience will be exposed to a new method of reliably measuring tobacco point of sale displays and will be able to apply them in their own communities.