Tobacco Tracker: A New Tool to Support College Smoke and Tobacco Free Policies
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: University community members are critical to the success of their smoke and tobacco free (STF) policies. The present study evaluates changes in social enforcement-related attitudes and behaviors following introduction of a new online Tobacco Tracker tool in two university settings.
METHODS: Campus wide surveys were administered to current students, faculty, and staff at two California public universities with 100% STF policies before (November 2018; N = 5078) and after (December 2019-January 2020; N = 4853) introduction of Tobacco Tracker in February 2019. Prospective surveillance reports over 12 months from Tobacco Tracker, a GIS tool for the campus community to report tobacco use and related litter that displays crowdsourced maps of hotspots, were analyzed. Outcomes included awareness and self-reported use of a tobacco reporting tool, readiness for policy social enforcement, an Intellectual Social Affective (ISA) Engagement scale, and environmental surveillance reports from Tobacco Tracker.
RESULTS: In campus surveys, awareness of a tobacco reporting tool doubled (8.0%-16.9%, p < .0001), use of an online reporting tool tripled (1.1%-3.2%, p < .0001), and readiness to enforce the policy increased (p = .0008). ISA engagement did not change (p = .72). In Tobacco Tracker campus reports (N = 1163), active tobacco use was reported more frequently than tobacco-related litter.
CONCLUSIONS: Tobacco Tracker is a promising tool for college communities to support STF…
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence Hub reads this as a cohort study, done in people. Its evidence level is 3 of 5 (Moderate · trial / cohort / secondary analysis). Trials without a large randomized design, cohorts and secondary analyses give moderate evidence. Reported size: 5,078 participants or records.
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