Wednesday, 5 September 2007 - 4:20 PM
167

Novel Methodological Features Of The New Zealand Arm Of The ITC Project

Richard Edwards, MB, BChir, MPH1, Nick Wilson, MBChB, MPH, FAPH1, Tony Blakely2, Ron Borland, Professor, PhD3, Chris Bullen, MBChB, FAFPHM4, Sharon NS Ponniah5, Sarah Gerritsen5, and Hayden McRobbie4. (1) Public Health, University of Otago, Box 7343 Wellington South, Wellington, New Zealand, (2) Department of Public Health, Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, Wellington, (3) Tobacco Control Unit, The Cancer Council Victoria, 1 Rathdowne Street, Carlton, 3050, Australia, (4) Clinical Trials Research Unit, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019 Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand, (5) Public Health Intelligence, Ministry of Health, PO BOX 5013, 133 Moleworth Street, Wellington, New Zealand

Background: The International Tobacco Control (ITC) Survey aims to evaluate the effects of national tobacco control policies on smokers around the world by recruiting cohorts of smokers who are surveyed annually. The impact of policy interventions on psychosocial variables and behaviours of smokers longitudinally is assessed through quasi-experimental studies with ITC countries without the policy change acting as controls.

Method: The New Zealand arm of the study has two distinctive features. First, rather than starting a new cohort, smokers are recruited from the New Zealand Health Survey (NZHS), which collects data on health status, socio-economic position, perceived racism, health care utilisation, and other health-related behaviours.

Results: We will present the data to be collected in the NZHS and ITC questionnaires, including a description of additional items unique to the NZ ITC arm, such as questions exploring issues of particular interest to Mâori and the impact of policies on Mâori smokers. We will present preliminary data on response and demographics of the cohort, and examples of possible analyses linking NZ ITC and NZHS data.

Conclusions: The NZ ITC cohort will reduce the costs and difficulties of identifying, recruiting and maintaining a nationally representative cohort of smokers; and allow ITC data to be linked with NZHS data, enabling exploration of broader influences on smoking and quitting behaviour over time. Almost half of the NZ ITC cohort will be Mâori smokers giving adequate power to undertake sub-group analyses. Other ITC countries include only small numbers of indigenous or ethnic minority participants.

Implications:


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