[Environmental predisposing factors for tobacco and alcohol consumption]

Tobacco and alcohol are risk factors for preventable chronic diseases. Analyzing their environmental presence enables the development of measures that promote healthy environments. The aim of this paper was to describe and analyze differences in the density of alcohol and tobacco retail outlets (number of outlets/km²) by locality, census tract, and income level in the municipality of Siero (Asturias).

A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted between October 2023 and June 2024. The units of analysis were all streets within sixteen census tracts of Lugones (n=5), La Fresneda (n=3), and Pola de Siero (n=8), located in one of the municipalities with the highest prevalence of chronic diseases in Asturias. Data collection on tobacco and alcohol retail outlets was carried out through direct observation. Statistical data analysis was performed, including descriptive analyses (median and IQR), ANOVA to compare densities, and Spearman correlation, using IBM SPSS v27, with spatial analyses conducted in QGIS v3.34.

No significant statistical differences were observed in the densities of alcohol and tobacco outlets between census tracts within each town. However, differences were found between the three localities, with higher densities in Lugones (tobacco p=0.008; alcohol p=0.01). A strong correlation was found between the density of tobacco and alcohol outlets (r=0.997; p<0.001), but no significant correlation was found between outlet density and income for tobacco (p=0.082) or alcohol (p=0.076).

In small towns such as those included in this study, when developing public health policies on tobacco and alcohol, it may be more appropriate to consider the locality as a whole rather than individual census tracts, unlike recommendations for larger populations.