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Information for Study Participants
If you are currently participating in an OTRU research study, details
about confidentiality, your privacy and information about the study are
available.
Research studies at OTRU abide by the policies and procedures for Privacy
and Confidentiality and Research Ethics for one of the following institutions:
the University of Toronto,
the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health,
or the University of Waterloo.
Ontario Tobacco Survey: Background and Survey Objectives
The Ontario Tobacco
Survey is a provincial longitudinal survey of smokers and a cross-sectional survey of non-smokers. It was undertaken to evaluate and inform the Smoke-Free Ontario Strategy and to gain a better understanding of the processes of, and influences on, smoking cessation and relapse. The survey design allows researchers to link behaviours to regional and provincial initiatives in order to evaluate current policies and programs. The design also permits monitoring of trends in attitudes and exposures for both smokers and non-smokers. The study results will identify additional needs of smokers to help them quit and thus further reduce smoking rates in Ontario.
The Ontario Tobacco Survey is one of the central OTRU studies monitoring tobacco use and opinions about tobacco use among smokers and non-smokers in Ontario. This telephone survey focuses on smoking cessation and on attitudes and behaviours targeted by the Smoke-free Ontario media campaign.
More
OTRU is conducting this study to determine
whether attitudes, behaviours, beliefs, and exposure to media campaigns
have an effect on smoking cessation. The information gathered will help
us understand why certain people are able to quit smoking while others
are not. Changes in participants’ thoughts,
feelings and experiences regarding tobacco use and second-hand smoke will
be tracked over time. The survey will also help us comprehend how public
health programs and policies affect the lives of both smokers and non-smokers
in Ontario.
Survey Objectives
- To assess the impact of existing provincial programs or policies;
- To provide baseline data about tobacco use and second-hand smoke before
new programs or policies are launched;
- To help researchers, policy makers, and health agencies plan programs
rated as likely or a high priority.
Telephone Interviews and Data Collection
Data collection is being performed by the Survey Research Centre (SRC) at the University of Waterloo. SRC interviewers are recruiting 7,500 smokers and non-smokers in Ontario to take part in a 15- to 25-minute survey in which respondents will be asked questions about what they think, what they feel and their experiences relevant to tobacco use and second-hand smoke. Other information about study participants will also be requested. Participants are free to decline any questions they do not wish to answer.
Some participants will be selected to participate in a continuing study in which they will be re-contacted approximately every six months for two years.
Privacy and Confidentiality
Participants’ answers to this survey will be kept strictly confidential;
individuals will not be identified in the dataset or study results. All
information pertaining to this study will be kept on a secure computer,
and files with personal information will be destroyed at the end of the
research study.
Contact Us
Lead Principal Investigator
Susan Bondy, PhD
sue.bondy@utoronto.ca
Project Coordinator, OTRU
Lori Diemert
Lori_Diemert@camh.net
Manager, Survey Research Centre
Fiona Heath
fjheath@math.uwaterloo.ca
Ontario Tobacco Research Unit
33 Russell Street
Toronto, ON
M5S 2S1
Phone: 416-595-6888
Fax: 416-595-6068
Selected Additional Information and Resources
Ontario Tobacco Strategy – a
Ministry of Health and Long Term Care website explaining the Ontario Tobacco
Strategy and its programs.
Health
Canada – Go Smoke-Free – a
site providing useful information on quitting, including self-help materials
and other resources. This site also provides statistics about smoking in
Canada, along with information about the health effects of smoking and
second-hand smoke.
Ontario Smokers’ Helpline or
1-877-513-5333 – a telephone counselling service to help smokers
quit. For additional information about smoking cessation, please talk to
your health care professional or contact your local Public Health Unit.
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