SPATIAL ASSOCIATION PATTERNS OF SMOKING, TOBACCO OUTLET DENSITY, AND SECONDHAND SMOKE IN THAILAND

Thailand has a higher prevalence of smoking behaviors which puts people at risk of morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the spatial association of smoking behaviors and their associated factors among the population of Thailand. This study was conducted using a data set from the National Statistical Office of Thailand, 2017. A Moran’s I, local indicators of spatial association (LISA), and spatial regression were used to identify the spatial autocorrelation between tobacco outlet density, the prevalence of secondhand smoke, and smoking behaviors among Thai people. According to the results, among 88,689 participants, the prevalence of smoking behaviors was 18.00 per 1,000 population. There was global spatial autocorrelation between tobacco outlet density, the prevalence of secondhand smoke, and smoking behaviors with the Moran’s I values of 0.120 and 0.375, respectively. The LISA analysis identified significant positive spatial local autocorrelation of smoking behaviors in the form of nine high-high clusters of tobacco outlets density and ten high-high prevalence clusters of secondhand smoke. The prevalence of secondhand smoke predicted smoking behaviors by 62.8 percent. There were spatial associations between tobacco outlet density and secondhand smoke problems that led the youngsters to start smoking. It is a general recommendation to strictly enforce policies and laws to control smoking, and cover all regions in Thailand.

SPATIAL ASSOCIATION PATTERNS OF BINGE DRINKING, ALCOHOL OUTLET DENSITY, AND EARLY STARTED DRINKING IN THAILAND

Thailand had a higher prevalence of binge drinking (BD) behaviors which put them at risks of morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to determine the spatial association of BD and its associated factors among the population of Thailand. This study was conducted using a data set of the National Statistical Office of Thailand and another data set of the Center for Alcohol Studies, Thailand, in 2017. A Moran's I, Local Indicators of Spatial Association (LISA), and Spatial regression were used to identify the spatial autocorrelation between alcohol outlet density, started drinking before 20 years of age, and BD among Thai people. According to the results, among 61,708 participants, the prevalence of BD was 11.47 per 1,000 population. There was global spatial autocorrelation between alcohol outlet density, start drinking before 20 years, and BD with the Moran's I values of 0.10 and 0.54, respectively. The LISA analysis identified significant positive spatial local autocorrelation of BD in the form of two high-high clusters for density of alcohol outlets and seven high-high clusters of started drinking before the age of 20. Started drinking before 20 years of age could predict binge drinking behaviors by 62.8 percent. There were spatial associations between alcohol outlet density and problems with alcoholic beverage control law enforcement that let the youngsters start drinking before 20. It is a general recommendation to strictly enforce the law in prohibited the underage from consuming alcohol, especially in the high density of alcohol outlets.

Association of cigarette production and tobacco retailer density on secondhand smoke exposure in urban China

The primary aims of this study are to examine the associations between two key environmental factors—regional cigarette tobacco production and tobacco retail outlet density—and secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in urban China and to explore the possible mechanisms that explain this association.MethodsA cross-sectional multistage sampling design was used to collect individual information in 21 cities in China. Environmental variables were retrieved from national databases. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the associations between regional cigarette tobacco production, tobacco retail outlet density and SHS exposure. Structural equation modelling was employed to determine possible mechanisms.ResultsSHS exposure prevalence defined as daily exposure to SHS for at least 15 min/day at the time of the survey was found to be 28.1% among non-smokers (95% CI 27.1 to 29.0) across the 21 cities. The multilevel logistic regressions showed that province-level per capital cigarette production (OR: 2.72 (95% CI 1.56 to 4.76)and per GDP cigarette production(OR:1.69(95% CI 1,42,2.01), and city-level tobacco retail outlet density (OR: 2.66 (95% CI 1.63 to 4.38)) were significantly associated with SHS exposure. Moreover, results showed that these associations may be explained by the level of tobacco advertisement, which influences social norms, including attitudes and behaviours toward SHS exposure.ConclusionsFindings shed light on the role of cigarette manufacturers and retailers in producing environmental SHS pollution. To address the health and economic burden associated with SHS in China, it will be critical for the Chinese government to enact tobacco control measures consistent with the Framework Convention for Tobacco Control. Efforts should also focus on restricting the permitted density of tobacco retail outlets, and tobacco production in China.

Experimental study of the mechanism of grouting colloidal nano-silica in over-broken coal mass

The grouting process is an important subject for stability control of unfavourable geology. A multi-parameter grouting monitoring device was designed to monitor pump pressure, inlet density, outlet density, outlet electrical resistance and osmotic pressure. Taking the multi-source information as the indication, this paper presented an experimental study about the process of grouting colloidal nano-silica into over-broken coal mass, which was verified by percolation mechanics theory and numerical simulation simultaneously. The porosity and permeability of the injected sample were 15.34% and 5.45 mD. The results showed that the variation of pump pressure generally presented an obvious three-stage regularity. The time-dependent curves of outlet density and outlet resistance were consistent with that of pump pressure, while the curve of inlet density was opposite to pump pressure. The law of the dominated penetration mechanism was as follows: miscible displacement mechanism in the 1st stage (0-46th minute), Darcy flow in the 2nd stage (46th∼200th minute) and filtration flow in the 3rd stage. This research can guide grouting theory study and design in the over-broken rock mass.

The Cannabis Retail Environment for Young Adults in Los Angeles: Which Metrics Matter

Background: Currently, there is no consensus on how to measure cannabis retailer density. Researchers and policy makers need clear measures to support policies that mitigate unintended harms of legalization. To address this gap, our unique study leverages cannabis retailer location data in Los Angeles County (LA), California, and home addresses from an LA-based cohort of young adults (21-25 years) to develop a series of cannabis retailer density metrics and assess their relationship with cannabis use. Methods: Drawing from GIS-based measures of alcohol outlet density, we developed a series of cannabis retailer density metrics: proximity, counts within 5- 10- 15-, and 30-minute driving distances, and considered retail licensure. Retailer addresses were compiled by webscraping cannabis registries (e.g. Weedmaps) and conducting field visits (March 2019). Home addresses were geocoded for participants who completed a 2019 survey (n 1097). A series of retailer metrics was created for each person. We fit a series of multi-level logistic regression models with a random intercept by census tract (CT) (models adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity, college student, and CT median household income) to assess which retailer metrics were associated with any past month cannabis use. Results: Thirty percent of participants used cannabis in the past month, and 430 retailers were operating in LA in 2019. Thirty-nine percent of participants had a retailer within a mile from home and an average of 14 retailers within a 10-minute drive. Licensed retailers were less prevalent; the nearest licensed retailer was on average 2.4 miles from home. The odds of past month cannabis use significantly increased by 3% (OR:1.03, 95% CI:1.00–1.07) for every additional licensed retailer within a 10-minute drive in adjusted model; use was also significantly associated with licensed retailers within a 30-minute drive (OR:1.01, 95% CI:1.00–1.01). Proximity metrics were not significantly associated with past month cannabis use.