Tobacco-Free Sports and Recreation Policies

Tobacco-Free Sports and Recreation Policies
The collective effort to promote TFSR policies is relatively new, and overall, there is a lack of
rigorous evaluative evidence to indicate effectiveness (Bobbili, 2010; Priest et al., 2008). As part
of the PLBTF initiative, an evaluation strategy and program logic model was developed early in
2010 (Play, Live, Be...Tobacco-Free – Ontario Project Evaluation Report, Sahay, 2011). A formative
evaluation was also conducted that analyzed website traffic, determined PHU use of and
satisfaction with PLBTF resources, and assessed a number of components: the quality of policy
documents uploaded to the database, the extent to which provincial–level support has been
built for PLBTF, and the extent to which collaborations and partnerships have formed between
PHUs and local sports and recreation organizations (Sahay, 2011). Multiple methods were used
to gather information across a range of stakeholders.
Capacity-building, decreased duplication of effort and increased awareness of TFSR policies are
positive outcomes reported from the PHU support of sport and recreation organizations to date
(Sahay, 2011). PLBTF resources have been well received by PHUs. Some key lessons from the
formative evaluation included the need for ongoing support and adequate funding to access the
appropriate media channels. In addition, sports and recreation organizations highlighted the
need to monitor implementation and policy enforcement. Indeed, understanding the
implementation of TFSR policies at the local level is important for all PLBTF stakeholders as they
move forward.
Between April and June 2011, meetings were held with both the TFSR Community of Practice and
Evaluation Advisory Group 1 devoted to evaluation and follow-up discussions. TFSR CoP members
identified a range of evaluation needs and interests, including a need for common sets of
indicators and tools for evaluation of local initiatives, support in conducting local evaluations,
cross-learning among and across PHUs, and roll-up of local level evaluation knowledge to
produce provincial level learning. Support needs ranged from external expert review and advice
to involvement and conduct of design, data collection, data analysis and report writing. The TFSR
Evaluation Advisory Group prioritized the need to assess and better understand the impact of
TFSR policies among hockey teams and leagues. Consensus was achieved in the larger CoP that
this topic was important as members felt that such an assessment would address a knowledge
gap about the effectiveness of the TFSR policy work being done by PHUs in achieving a number of
tobacco control objectives.
1 The TFSR Evaluation Advisory Group was formed in March 2011. The PTCC invited one representative from each TCAN in
the TFSR CoP to join the evaluation group with two OTRU staff and one PTCC staff.
Ontario Tobacco Research Unit 6