Dickert 2015.
| Methods | Country: USA, New Jersey Setting: Prisons Design: Uncontrolled before‐and‐after study Analysis: Annual and semi‐annual mortality rates. Boot strap analysis of the correlations between tobacco sales and mortality rates using Proc Survey Select in SAS |
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| Participants | 13 prisons, N = 23,000 prisoners Mortality rates for all and mortality rates for subgroup with mental illness assessed Review of records Jan 2005 to June 2014 Median total term for the NJDOC’s prisoners 6 yrs, median age is 34 yrs. 60% of prisoners are black, 23% white, 16% Hispanic and 1% Asian Persons placed on the special needs roster account for approx. 13% of the total prison population; this includes all prisoners with a serious mental illness |
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| Interventions | NJDOC policy decision for tobacco‐free prisons, including grounds 2012 13th Feb 2013 policy to ban sales and use of all tobacco products for employees, visitors and prisoners enacted |
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| Outcomes | Effect of tobacco‐free prison policy on mortality rates in all prisoners and in those with mental illness | |
| Notes | National Ban: Yes. New Jersey’s Smoke‐Free Air Act prohibits smoking in enclosed indoor spaces (2006). March 2010, an amendment banned the use of electronic smoking devices in indoor public places and workplaces and the sale to people 19 years and younger Biochemical Verification: No Follow‐up period: 1½ years |
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| Risk of bias | ||
| Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) | High risk | Not applicable |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) | High risk | Not applicable |
| Sampling bias (selection bias) | Low risk | Data collection from a defined population |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias) All outcomes | Unclear risk | Not applicable, accessing national data set |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias) All outcomes | Low risk | Not applicable |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Low risk | Expected outcomes reported |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) | Low risk | Expected outcomes reported |
| Other bias | Unclear risk | Aggregate data. No individual patient data No comorbidities No SHS exposure Consumption not accurate as cigarettes traded in prison Differences in length of sentences Transit of prisoners Change of diet to healthy heart between 2005 and 2007 implemented in prisons |