Policy Brief No. 8 - Cigarette Taxes and Smoking Participation: Evidence from Canadian Tax Increases

Although cigarette taxes are a popular anti-smoking measure with policy-makers, we find evidence of a varied response to cigarette taxes among different groups of smokers in Canada. In particular, contrary to other studies, we find that the middle age group--the largest group of smokers in our sample--is largely unresponsive to taxes. Our results show there is no “one-size fits all” anti-smoking policy. Knowing socio-demographic characteristics of smokers who respond differently to tax increases will help in designing supplementary anti-smoking measures

Public health nutrition intervention to evaluate the nutritional impact of the Ghana School Feeding Programme in Lower Manya Krobo (LMK) district, and enhancing its effectiveness through a nutrition intervention

School feeding interventions like many other donor dependent nutrition interventions in low-income countries have often been described to be ineffective or unsustainable because they are designed with donor specific nutritional interests, which often do not reflect the indigenous dietary preference and patterns of target populations. In Ghana, over half a million school children depend on the school meals as their main stable source of food for the day however there have been several reports of lack of nutritional impact of the due to the dependence on non-indigenous foods. The aim of this study was to develop school meals (SCm) for the Ghana School Feeding Programme (GSFP) in the Lower Manya Krobo District by employing local agricultural produce as food-to-food fortification. The study is based on the tailored functional food recipe concept that seeks to enhance the effectiveness of nutrition interventions by employing indigenous knowledge of food composition and food processing to improve micronutrients profile of local available foods without compromising palatability. Maize, sweet potatoes, soybeans, Moringa oleifera, palm nut oil, anchovies were processed using traditional methods. Each SCm was formulated using nutrition data from FAO West African-Food-Composition-Table to contain at least 40% DRI for protein. AOAC (2009) methods were used to analyse the nutritional content of the SCm and two sets of sensory tests were performed to determine acceptability. In all, five SCm were developed and per 100g of each SCm, carbohydrate (with crude fibre) and protein content ranged from 68.07g to 49.18g and 16.32g to 27.52g respectively whilst fat content ranged between 4.1g and 19.4g. Calcium content ranged from 284mg to 960mg whilst iron and zinc contents range between 7.17g to 11.17g and 0.97g to 1.59g respectively. In the sensory test, SCm coded FSM123, FSM101 and FSM579 had highest mean overall acceptability scores of 7.58±0.56, 7.74±0.81 and 7.71±0.70 respectively. The efficacy and effectiveness of the SCm were tested in a 6 months pilot nutrition n (180) and 9-month scale-up intervention (n=330) together with a control group and a GSFP group. After initial deworming and malaria screening, the intervention the GSFP group received the normal school meals, the control group received three portions of fruit as incentive the SCm group receive 15g weight bases of SCm meal together with nutritional education. The results showed that participants in the SCm treatment group had an average 3.24% increase in height (p≤0.05) and 13.08% increase in weight (p≤0.0.5) over the intervention periods. There was also a 17% decrease in anaemia prevalence compared 11% decrease in the control and 9% decrease in GSFP. The results illustrate that the application of indigenous knowledge, and innovation in of nutrition could be a plausible tool in enhancing the nutrient content of school meals. The SCm seems to provide some leverage and resilience against further malnutrition and when combined with deworming, malaria treatment buttressed with behaviour change communication provided greater nutritional impact on height and weight relative to the other groups in the study

The effect of job stress on smoking and alcohol consumption

This paper examines the effect of job stress on two key health risk-behaviors: smoking and alcohol consumption, using data from the Canadian National Population Health Survey. Findings in the extant literature are inconclusive and are mainly based on standard models which can model differential responses to job stress only by observed characteristics. However, the effect of job stress on smoking and drinking may largely depend on unobserved characteristics such as: self control, stress-coping ability, personality traits and health preferences. Accordingly, we use a latent class model to capture heterogeneous responses to job stress. Our results suggest that the effects of job stress on smoking and alcohol consumption differ substantially for at least two "types" of individuals, light and heavy users. In particular, we find that job stress has a positive and statistically significant impact on smoking intensity, but only for light smokers, while it has a positive and significant impact on alcohol consumption mainly for heavy drinkers. These results provide suggestive evidence that the mixed findings in previous studies may partly be due to unobserved individual heterogeneity which is not captured by standard models

Associations Between County and Municipality Zoning Ordinances and Access to Fruit And Vegetable Outlets in Rural North Carolina, 2012

INTRODUCTION: Zoning ordinances and land-use plans may influence the community food environment by determining placement and access to food outlets, which subsequently support or hinder residents’ attempts to eat healthfully. The objective of this study was to examine associations between healthful food zoning scores as derived from information on local zoning ordinances, county demographics, and residents’ access to fruit and vegetable outlets in rural northeastern North Carolina. METHODS: From November 2012 through March 2013, county and municipality zoning ordinances were identified and double-coded by using the Bridging the Gap food code/policy audit form. A healthful food zoning score was derived by assigning points for the allowed use of fruit and vegetable outlets. Pearson coefficients were calculated to examine correlations between the healthful food zoning score, county demographics, and the number of fruit and vegetable outlets. In March and April 2013, qualitative interviews were conducted among county and municipal staff members knowledgeable about local zoning and planning to ascertain implementation and enforcement of zoning to support fruit and vegetable outlets. RESULTS: We found a strong positive correlation between healthful food zoning scores and the number of fruit and vegetable outlets in 13 northeastern North Carolina counties (r = 0.66, P = .01). Major themes in implementation and enforcement of zoning to support fruit and vegetable outlets included strict enforcement versus lack of enforcement of zoning regulations. CONCLUSION: Increasing the range of permitted uses in zoning districts to include fruit and vegetable outlets may increase access to healthful fruit and vegetable outlets in rural communities

Effet du fractionnement d’engrais organique, d’Urée et du Sulfate de Potassium sur la productivité et la conservation des fruits de tomate au Sud du Bénin

Objectif: Dans le but d’améliorer la fertilisation de la tomate de plein champ, cette étude a été menée avec hypothèse que la dose d’engrais [1 Matière Organique (MO) + 2 [Urée et Sulfate de Potassium] (EM)] est autant efficace que le fractionnement en 2 pour la MO et 3 pour l’EM.Méthodologie: Au cours des saisons pluvieuses de 2016 et 2017, quatre fractionnements (T1 = 1 MO + 2 EM, T2 = 1 MO + 3 EM, T3 = 2 MO + 2 EM, T4 = 2 MO + 3 EM) ont été comparés à un Témoin Absolu (TA) sur la variété de tomate «Padma». Les paramètres de croissance, le rendement et la durée de conservation des fruits sont les variables mesurées. Le rendement du témoin absolu (19 t/ha) est significativement inférieur aux autres modalités T1 (39,22 t/ha); T2 (40,72 t/ha) T3 (37,03 t/ha) et T4 (41,4 t/ha). Les modes de fractionnement n’ont pas influé la durée de conservation des fruits.Conclusion et application des résultats: Cette étude confirme l’importance de l’Urée et du Sulfate de Potassium dans la fertilisation minérale de la tomate. Les niveaux de rendement obtenus indiquent la nécessité de diffuser l’utilisation de l’Urée et du Sulfate de Potassium en complément minéral aux autres engrais aussi bien en simple ou en double fractionnement.Mots clés: tomate, fractionnement, matière organique, engrais minéral, rendement, conservation, Sud- BéninEnglish Title: Effect of fractionation of organic fertilizer, urea and potassium sulphate on the productivity and conservation of tomato fruits in southern BeninEnglish AbstractObjectives: In order to improve fertilization of tomato in the field, this study was conducted with the assumption that the dose of fertilizer [1 Organic Matter (MO) + 2 [Urea and Potassium Sulphate] (EM)] is as much effective as splitting in 2 for the MO and 3 for the EM.Methodology and Results: During the rainy seasons of 2016 and 2017, four fractionations (T1 = 1 MO + 2 EM, T2 = 1 MO + 3 EM, T3 = 2 MO + 2 EM, T4 = 2 MO + 3 EM) were compared to one Absolu control (TA) in a complete four-repeat on the tomato variety "Padma". The tests were conducted in a station on ferralitic soil at INRAB in southern Benin. The variables measured were growth parameters, yield and shelf life of  fruits under splits. Splits did not have a significant effect on plants height and diameter of tomato. The yield of the absolute control (19 t / ha) is significantly lower than the other T1 (39.22 t / ha); T2 (40.72 t / ha) T3 (37.03 t / ha) and T4 (41.4 t / ha). The fractionation modes did not significantly influence (P> 0.05) the quality parameters, in particular the soluble sugar content and the dry matter content. It is the same for the conservation of the fruits where the different modes of fractionation reached 50% of loss after 20 days in ambient environment.Conclusion and application of results: This study confirms the importance of Urea and Potassium Sulfate in the mineral fertilization of tomatoes. The yield levels obtained indicate the need to diffuse the use of Urea and Potassium Sulphate as a mineral supplement to other fertilizers both in single and double fractionation.Keywords: tomato, fractionation, organic matter, mineral fertilizer, productivity, conservation, South Beni

The association between workplace smoking bans and self-perceived, work-related stress among smoking workers

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is substantial empirical evidence on the benefits of smoking bans; however, the unintended consequences of this anti-smoking measure have received little attention. This paper examines whether workplace smoking bans (WSB's) are associated with higher self-perceived, work-related stress among smoking workers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A longitudinal representative sample of 3,237 individuals from the Canadian National Population Health Survey from 2000 to 2008 is used. Work-related stress is derived from a 12-item job questionnaire. Two categories of WSB's, full and partial, are included in the analysis, with no ban being the reference category. Analysis also controls for individual socio-demographic characteristics, health status, provincial and occupational fixed-effects. We use fixed-effects linear regression to control for individual time-invariant confounders, both measured and unmeasured, which can affect the relationship between WSB's and work-related stress. To examine the heterogeneous effects of WSB's, the analysis is stratified by gender and age. We check the robustness of our results by re-estimating the baseline specification with the addition of different control variables and a separate analysis for non-smokers.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Multivariate analysis reveals a positive and statistically significant association between full <it>(β = 0.75, CI = 0.19-1.32) </it>or partial <it>(β = 0.69, CI = 0.12-1.26) </it>WSB's, and the level of self-perceived, work-related stress among smoking workers compared to those with no WSB. We also find that this association varies by gender and age. In particular, WSB's are significantly associated with higher work stress only for males and young adults (aged 18-40). No statistically significant association is found between WSB's and the level of self-perceived work-related stress among non-smoking workers.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The results of this study do not imply that WSB's are the main determinant of self-perceived, work-related stress among smokers but provides suggestive evidence that these may be positively related.</p

Cigarette Taxes and Smoking Participation: Evidence from Recent Tax Increases in Canada

Using the Canadian National Population Health Survey and the recent tax variation across Canadian provinces, this paper examines the impact of cigarette taxes on smoking participation. Consistent with the literature, we find evidence of a heterogeneous response to cigarette taxes among different groups of smokers. Contrary to most studies, we find that the middle age group—which constitutes the largest fraction of smokers in our sample—is largely unresponsive to taxes. While cigarette taxes remain popular with policy makers as an anti-smoking measure, identifying the socio-demographic characteristics of smokers who respond differentially to tax increase will help in designing appropriate supplementary measures to reduce smoking

Disparities in the frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption by socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics in Canada

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The health benefits of adequate fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption are significant and widely documented. However, many individuals self-report low F&V consumption frequency per day. This paper examines the disparities in the frequency of F&V consumption by socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>This study uses a representative sample of 93,719 individuals from the Canadian Community Health Survey (2007). A quantile regression model is estimated in order to capture the differential effects of F&V determinants across the conditional distribution of F&V consumption.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The conditional and unconditional analyses reveal the existence of a socioeconomic gradient in F&V consumption frequency, in which the low income-education groups consume F&V less frequently than the high income-education groups. We also find significant disparities in F&V consumption frequency by demographic and lifestyle characteristics. The frequency of F&V consumption is relatively lower among: males, those in middle age, singles, smokers, individuals with weak social interaction and households with no children. The quantile regression results show that the association between F&V consumption frequency, and socio-demographic and lifestyle factors varies significantly along the conditional F&V consumption distribution. In particular, individual educational attainment is positively and significantly associated with F&V consumption frequency across different parts of the F&V distribution, while the income level matters only over the lower half of the distribution. F&V consumption follows a U-shaped pattern across the age categories. Those aged 30-39, 40-49 and 50-59 years consume F&V less frequently than those aged 18-29 years. The smallest F&V consumption is among the middle aged adults (40-49).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Understanding the socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics of individuals with low F&V consumption frequency could increase the effectiveness of policies aimed at promoting F&V consumption. The differential effects of individual characteristics along the F&V consumption distribution suggest the need for a multifaceted approach to address the variation in F&V consumption frequency.</p

Alcohol mixed with energy drink (AMED): A critical review and meta-analysis

© 2018 The Authors Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to critically review the (1) prevalence of alcohol mixed with energy drink (AMED) consumption, (2) motives for AMED consumption, (3) correlates of AMED consumption, and (4) whether AMED consumption has an impact on (a) alcohol consumption, (b) subjective intoxication, and (c) risk-taking behavior. Overall a minority of the population consumes AMED, typically infrequently. Motives for AMED consumption are predominantly hedonistic and social. Meta-analyses revealed that AMED consumers drink significantly more alcohol than alcohol-only (AO) consumers. Within-subject comparisons restricted to AMED consumers revealed that alcohol consumption does not significantly differ between typical AMED and AO occasions. On past month heaviest drinking occasions, AMED users consume significantly less alcohol on AMED occasions when compared to AO occasions. AMED consumers experience significantly fewer negative consequences and risk-taking behavior on AMED occasions compared with AO occasions. Meta-analyses of subjective intoxication studies suggest that AMED consumption does not differentially affect subjective intoxication when compared to AO consumption. In conclusion, when compared to AO consumption, mixing alcohol with energy drink does not affect subjective intoxication and seems unlikely to increase total alcohol consumption, associated risk-taking behavior, nor other negative alcohol-related consequences. Further research may be necessary to fully reveal the effects of AMED