Independent evaluation of the California Tobacco Control Program: relationships between program exposure and outcomes, 1996-1998.
OBJECTIVE
This study sought to determine the effects of the California Tobacco Control Program on tobacco-related attitudes and behaviors.


METHODS
In 1996 and 1998, a telephone survey was conducted among adults in randomly selected households in 18 California counties. Tenth-grade youths in 84 randomly selected high schools completed a written survey. In analyses conducted at the county level, differences in outcomes were regressed on an index of program exposure.


RESULTS
Among adults, program exposure was associated with decreased smoking prevalence rates, increased no-smoking policies in homes, and decreased violations of workplace no-smoking policies. Among youths, there was no effect of program exposure on outcomes.


CONCLUSIONS
These results suggest that the California Tobacco Control Program may have reduced adult smoking prevalence rates and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke.
Rohrbach
Louise Ann
LA
Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Alhambra, 91803, USA. rohrbac@hsc.usc.edu
Howard-Pitney
Beth
B
Unger
Jennifer B
JB
Dent
Clyde W
CW
Howard
Kim Ammann
KA
Cruz
Tess Boley
TB
Ribisl
Kurt M
KM
Norman
Gregory J
GJ
Fishbein
Howard
H
Johnson
C Anderson
CA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002140:California / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016134:Organizational Policy; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011635:Public Health Administration; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D011049:Social Control Policies; D017132:Workplace