Evaluation of a smoke-free beaches intervention in Barcelona : a quasi-experimental study
Valmayor, Sara (Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona)
González, K. (Agència de Salut Pública de Barcelona)
López Medina, María José (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Lacera, P. (Medi Ambient i Serveis Urbans - Ecologia Urbana)
Giménez, P. (Medi Ambient i Serveis Urbans - Ecologia Urbana)
Rumín-Caparrós, A. (Medi Ambient i Serveis Urbans - Ecologia Urbana)
Pasarín, M. Isabel (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Henderson, Elisabet (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Diez, Elia (Institut d'Investigació Biomèdica Sant Pau)
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Date:	2023
Abstract:	We aim to assess the effect of a smoke-free beaches (SFB) intervention in Barcelona on smoking during the 2021 bathing season. Quasi-experimental pre-post design (pre-intervention period: 15-28 May; post-intervention period: 29 May-12 September). Based on users' profiles and location, four beaches were assigned to the intervention group (IG) and five to the comparison group (CG). The intervention involved: a mayoral decree (29 May), a communication campaign and beach on-site information. We established two 3 m × 3 m transects per beach from the coastline to the promenade. Trained teams collected smoking-related information in the transects through observations and surveys to beach users. Outcomes are as follows: percentage of people reporting witnessing smoking behaviours the last fortnight and percentage of people observed smoking. We calculated and compared prevalence ratios (PRs) with adjusted Poisson regressions. 3751 interviews (1721 IG; 2030 CG) and 1108 observations (498 IG, 610 CG) were carried out. SFB were associated with a significant reduction in the percentage of people reporting witnessing smoking (IG (pre: 87. 2%; post: 49. 7%); CG (pre: 86. 2%; post: 74. 1%); PR (95% CI): 0. 7 (0. 6 to 0. 8)); and in the users observed smoking in the beach (IG (pre: 3. 8%; post: 3. 0%); CG (pre: 2. 3%; post: 9. 9%); PR (95% CI): 0. 3 (0. 3 to 0. 4)). Satisfaction scores were 8. 3 (IG) and 8. 1 (CG) out of 10. An SFB intervention is an effective and well-accepted measure to reduce smoking and smokers' visibility. Smoke-free measures should be extended to beaches and other non-regulated outdoor areas.
Rights:	Aquest document està subjecte a una llicència d'ús Creative Commons. Es permet la reproducció total o parcial, la distribució, la comunicació pública de l'obra i la creació d'obres derivades, sempre que no sigui amb finalitats comercials, i sempre que es reconegui l'autoria de l'obra original.
Language:	Anglès
Document:	Article ; recerca ; Versió publicada
Subject:	Denormalisation ; Environment ; Public policy ; Secondhand smoke
Published in:	Tobacco Control, 2023 , ISSN 1468-3318

DOI: 10.1136/tc-2022-057873
PMID: 37402576

5 p, 291.6 KB

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Research literature > UAB research groups literature > Research Centres and Groups (research output) > Health sciences and biosciences > Institut de Recerca Sant Pau
Articles > Research articles
Articles > Published articles