title: Storefront cigarette advertising differs by community demographic profile.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tobacco manufacturers have targeted youth and ethnic/racial minorities with tailored advertising. Less is known about how characteristics of storefront tobacco advertisements, such as location, position, size, and content, are used to appeal to demographic subgroups.
  
  
  METHODS
  The occurrence and characteristics of storefront cigarette advertising were observed for all licensed tobacco retailers in two defined communities.
  
  
  METHODS
  Measures were taken in two Boston, Massachusetts, area urban communities: a low-income, minority community and a high-income, nonminority community.
  
  
  METHODS
  No human subjects were involved in this study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Advertisement position (attached or separated from storefront), size (small, medium, or large), mentholation, and price were recorded. Geographic coordinates of tobacco retailers and schools were mapped using ArcGIS 9.2.
  
  
  METHODS
  Differences between the communities in advertisement number and characteristics were assessed using bivariate analyses. Logistic regression was used to ascertain the odds of specific advertising features occurring in the low-income/minority community.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The low-income/minority community had more tobacco retailers, and advertisements were more likely to be larger, promote menthol products, have a lower mean advertised price, and occur within 1000 feet of a school.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Storefront cigarette advertising characteristics that increase exposure and promote youth initiation were more prominent in a low-income/minority community. The findings emphasize the need for more effective regulation of storefront tobacco advertising.
authors.affiliation: Division of Public Health Practice, Harvard School of Public Health, Landmark Building, Level 3 East, 677 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Seidenberg
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Caughey
authors.forename: Vaughan W
authors.initials: VW
authors.lastname: Rees
authors.forename: Gregory N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Connolly
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000329:Advertising / Q000379:methods*; D001741:Black or African American; D001900:Boston; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019460:Tobacco Industry