Small area estimation at provincial level in the Italian labour force survey

Abstract Background The workplace and home are sources of exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS), a serious health hazard for nonsmoking adults and children. Smoke-free workplace policies and home rules protect nonsmoking individuals from SHS and help individuals who smoke to quit smoking. However, estimated population coverages of smoke-free workplace policies and home rules are not typically available at small geographic levels such as counties. Model-based small area estimation techniques are needed to produce such estimates. Methods Self-reported smoke-free workplace policies and home rules data came from the 2014-2015 Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey. County-level design-based estimates of the two measures were computed and linked to county-level relevant covariates obtained from external sources. Hierarchical Bayesian models were then built and implemented through Markov Chain Monte Carlo methods. Results Model-based estimates of smoke-free workplace policies and home rules were produced for 3,134 (out of 3,143) U.S. counties. In 2014-2015, nearly 80% of U.S. adult workers were covered by smoke-free workplace policies, and more than 85% of U.S. adults were covered by smoke-free home rules. We found large variations within and between states in the coverage of smoke-free workplace policies and home rules. Conclusions The small-area modeling approach efficiently reduced the variability that was attributable to small sample size in the direct estimates for counties with data and predicted estimates for counties without data by borrowing strength from covariates and other counties with similar profiles. The county-level modeled estimates can serve as a useful resource for tobacco control research and intervention. Implications Detailed county- and state-level estimates of smoke-free workplace policies and home rules can help identify coverage disparities and differential impact of smoke-free legislation and related social norms. Moreover, this estimation framework can be useful for modeling different tobacco control variables and applied elsewhere, e.g., to other behavioral, policy, or health related topics.

Download Full-text

[Small Area Estimation: An Appraisal]: Rejoinder

Statistical Science ◽

10.1214/ss/1177010654 ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 90-93 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

M. Ghosh ◽

J. N. K. Rao

Keyword(s):

Small Area ◽

Small Area Estimation ◽

Area Estimation

Download Full-text

Small area estimation using survey weights under a nested error linear regression model with structural measurement error

Journal of Multivariate Analysis ◽

10.1016/j.jmva.2012.02.015 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 109 ◽

pp. 52-60 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Mahmoud Torabi

Keyword(s):

Measurement Error ◽

Linear Regression ◽

Regression Model ◽

Linear Regression Model ◽

Small Area ◽

Small Area Estimation ◽

Area Estimation

Download Full-text