| Summary: | Introduction
The Tobacco Control Scale (TCS) was designed for advocacy
purposes but has also been used as a research tool. In the present study, we
characterized TCS use, its limitations and strengths, and critically assessed
its use as a research instrument.
Methods
We conducted an extensive search of the biomedical databases
PubMed and Web of Science for the keyword ‘tobacco control scale’ in all
fields. The search was limited to studies published in the period March
2006 to December 2019. Out of 69 hits, 32 studies met the inclusion
criteria. Two reviewers independently extracted information from each
publication regarding their general characteristics, publication and research
aspects, and the characteristics of the use of the TCS.
Results
We found that researchers have used the TCS as a tool to monitor
tobacco control policies mainly in cross-sectional observational studies with
ecological and multilevel designs directed to advocacy and the promotion
of further research. Different outcomes, such as smoking prevalence and
quit ratios, have been associated with tobacco control policy scores. The
main reported limitations of the TCS were a low variance across countries
and a failure to express enforcement and to incorporate the most recent
legislation.
Conclusions
The TCS has been commonly used to assess differences in
outcomes according to tobacco control policies. However, there are
still areas for improvement in its use in research regarding the lack of
comparability of TCS scores across time. The lessons that have been learned
should be used to adapt and expand the TCS overseas.
|
|---|
