Tobacco Retail Outlet Characteristics Around Schools in Vientiane, 2024

233 tobacco retailer outlets were audited around schools in three districts of Vientiane, Lao PDR. The study, conducted by Shweta Kulkarni in early 2024, provides cross-sectional evidence on outlet types, advertising, and regulatory compliance. It compares characteristics between two urban districts (Sissatanak, Chanthabuly) and one rural district (Naxaithong).

Use Cases

• Analyze the distribution of TRO types like convenience stores, supermarkets, roadside kiosks, and restaurants across urban and rural districts.
• Compare the prevalence of age verification signs and tobacco advertisements between districts such as Sissatanak, Chanthabuly, and Naxaithong.
• Assess compliance with tobacco control regulations by examining data on promotional practices and availability of low-priced cigarettes.
• Investigate the relationship between outlet type (e.g., supermarkets) and specific retail characteristics like age verification sign display.

Strengths

• Contains data from 233 audited tobacco retailer outlets, providing a concrete sample size.
• Includes comparative analysis between urban and rural districts with specific statistical results (e.g., p-values).
• Data was collected systematically via audits within defined catchment areas around schools over a one-month period in 2024.

Limitations

• The dataset is a cross-sectional snapshot from a single month, limiting analysis of trends over time.
• Geographic scope is limited to three districts in Vientiane, Lao PDR, which may not be nationally representative.
• The primary data file is a 4.2 MB DOCX document, which may require extraction and structuring for quantitative analysis.

Provenance

Source

Shweta Kulkarni via figshare.

Collection Method

Observational audit of tobacco retailer outlets within defined catchment areas around schools.

Time Range

Data collected between January 19 and February 18, 2024.

Freshness

Data was collected in January-February 2024 and the record was last updated in March 2026.

Geography

Three districts in Vientiane, Lao PDR: Sissatanak and Chanthabuly (urban), Naxaithong (rural).