Abstract
Objective
Crowding-out effects of tobacco consumption refers to the situation in which tobacco consumption reduces a household’s spending on other commodities. In this paper, we test for the crowding-out effects of recreational tobacco consumption on food expenditures among on-reserve Indigenous communities in Canada.
Methods
We use data from household expenditure surveys (N=469) to investigate tobacco consumption behaviour of on-reserve households of six First Nation communities in Canada. Using conditional Engel curves, we estimate the crowding-out effects of spending on tobacco on budget share of other expenditure categories with a focus on food expenditures.
Results
Our analysis showed that crowding-out effects of consuming tobacco on consumption of goods and services are minimal with an estimated impact of −0.00004 on the budget share of food expenditures in the remaining budget excess of expenditures on tobacco. While crowding-out effects are not statistically significant in general, the budget share of store-bought food expenditures is significantly lower (i.e. 5%) among tobacco consumer households.
Conclusion
This study sheds new light on some of the indirect impacts of recreational tobacco use and Indigenous food insecurity in Canada. This study is the first attempt to test for crowding-out effects of tobacco consumption among Indigenous populations in Canada. Our findings are important and highlight areas for substantial improvements in health and well-being outcomes given the alarming rates of food insecurity experienced by Indigenous communities in Canada.
Résumé
Objectif
L’effet d’éviction de la consommation de tabac désigne la situation dans laquelle cette consommation réduit les dépenses d’un ménage pour d’autres produits. Dans cet article, nous analysons l’effet d’éviction exercé par l’usage récréatif du tabac sur les dépenses alimentaires dans les communautés autochtones du Canada vivant dans les réserves.
Méthode
Nous utilisons les données d’enquêtes sur les dépenses des ménages (N = 469) pour étudier le comportement de consommation de tabac des ménages de six communautés des Premières nations du Canada vivant dans des réserves. À l’aide de courbes d’Engel conditionnelles, nous estimons l’effet d’éviction des dépenses pour le tabac sur la part du budget des autres catégories de dépenses, en particulier les dépenses alimentaires.
Résultats
Selon notre analyse, l’effet d’éviction de la consommation de tabac sur la consommation de produits et services est minime, avec un impact estimatif de -0,00004 sur la part du budget des dépenses alimentaires dans l’excédent budgétaire restant des dépenses pour le tabac. Bien que l’effet d’éviction ne soit pas significatif dans l’ensemble, la part du budget des dépenses consacrée aux aliments achetés au magasin est sensiblement (5 %) moins élevée dans les ménages qui consomment du tabac.
Conclusion
Cette étude apporte un nouvel éclairage sur certaines incidences indirectes de l’usage récréatif du tabac et sur l’insécurité alimentaire dans les populations autochtones du Canada. Elle représente une première tentative d’analyser l’effet d’éviction de la consommation de tabac dans les populations autochtones du Canada. Nos constatations sont importantes et font ressortir des aspects nécessitant des améliorations substantielles dans les résultats de santé et de bien-être, vu les taux alarmants d’insécurité alimentaire dans les communautés autochtones du Canada.
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Data availability
Data can be made available by the corresponding author per the approval of the Little Red River Cree Nation First Nation.
Code availability
Not applicable
Notes
The response rate in each community is as follows. OAFN: 156 (92%); BOFN: 100 (32%); JD: 47 (18%); FL: 84 (24%); GR: 26 (25%); LLB: 56 (56%).
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Acknowledgements
We sincerely appreciate the contributions of our First Nations partners in this study. In particular, we thank Alfred Gamble from the Beardy’s Okemasis First Nation, Brett Baldhead from the One Arrow First Nation, Chief Conroy Sewepagaham and Theresa Shelton from the Little Red River Cree Nation, and Chief Billy Joe Laboucan of the Lubicon Lake Band. We hope the results of this research will advance the goals of reducing food insecurity and improving socio-economic and health conditions of First Nation peoples in Canada. We are also grateful for the funding support provided by Toronto Dominion Bank for the conduct of this research.
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This research was funded by Toronto Dominion Bank.
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All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation and data collection were performed and administered by Omid Mirzaei and David Natcher. Data analysis was performed by Omid Mirzaei. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Omid Mirzaei and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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This research was reviewed by the University of Saskatchewan Behavioural Research Ethics Board (Beh-REB) and was found to be in full compliance with the current version of the Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS): Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans (TCPS 2 2018). Ethical requirements for informed consent in research involving Indigenous Peoples are consistent with Article 9.1 of the TCPS for protecting the welfare of Indigenous communities. This research was further guided by individual Research and Information Sharing Agreements signed between the research team and respective First Nations Governments.
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Mirzaei, O., Natcher, D.C. Recreational tobacco consumption and food insecurity among First Nations in Canada. Can J Public Health 113, 703–712 (2022). https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-022-00650-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.17269/s41997-022-00650-8