Spatial Clustering of Hookah Lounges, Vape Shops, and All Tobacco Retailers Near Colleges.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

US college students smoke hookah and vape nicotine at higher rates than other young adults. Density and/or proximity of hookah lounges and vape shops near colleges has been described, but this study is the first to test whether tobacco retailers spatially cluster near college campuses.

Aims and methods

We created and linked spatial shapefiles for community colleges and 4-year colleges in California with lists of hookah lounges, vape shops, and licensed tobacco retailers. We simulated 100 datasets, placing hookah lounges, vape shops, and tobacco retailers randomly in census tracts in proportion to population density. A modified version of Ripley's K-function was computed using the radius (r) from each retailer within retail category.

Results

In 2018-2019,

SUBMITTER: Sun DL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9048933 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature