Factors Affecting Youth Awareness of Anti-Tobacco Media Messages

Komal Kochhar, M.B.B.S., M.H.A.Terrell W. Zollinger, Dr.P.H.

Robert M. Saywell, Jr., Ph.D., M.P.H.

Background & Rationale

Mass media anti-smoking campaigns are a promising and costly tool for health promotion.

Their design has been guided primarily by focus groups.

Scientific research is limited regarding what factors impact awareness and effectiveness of media campaigns.

The Indiana Anti-tobacco Media Campaign

Indiana Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Agency began a media campaign in 2002. $8 million budgeted for the first 2 years Television, radio, print and billboard media

venues Baseline data used for this study.

Message-Theme -Emotion

TV

Radio

Print

Billboards

Duration

Intensity

MediatingFactors

ConfoundingFactors

Aware

Venue

Not

Aware

Research Aims

To identify mediating and confounding factors that are associated with youths’ awareness of anti-smoking messages in the mass media.

To evaluate whether such factors vary by media venue.- Television - Print Media- Radio - Billboards

Methods

Telephone survey was conducted in 2001.

Representative sample of Indiana youths (n=610) Stratified by age, gender, race, and

geographical region. Weighted to allow valid and reliable

inferences to be made to the state’s youth population.

Methods (Continued)

Analysis was conducted using SPSS 11.5. To measure the association between

media awareness for each media venue and numerous variables (knowledge, belief, smoking behavior, and demographic characteristics).

Using the chi-square test of independence.

Methods (Continued)

Instrument measured various tobacco related aspects (developed with a media expert):

- Anti-smoking media awareness - Demographics - Tobacco-related knowledge - Tobacco-related attitudes / beliefs - Smoking behavior / susceptibility

Survey Approach

Conducted by the IU Public Opinion Laboratory.

Telephone numbers selected with high probability of having youth living at home.

Interviewers first obtained permission from a parent/guardian before interviewing the adolescent.

Standard instructions given to both the parent/guardian and the targeted youth.

Outcome Variable: Awareness During the past 30 days, how many

commercials have you seen / heard about NOT smoking cigarettes? Asked separately for each media venue:

TV radio, print media billboards

Responses dichotomized to none or some.

Results: Awareness

94.1

69.1 74.0 68.1

0102030405060708090

100

TV Radio Print Billboard

Media Venues

Media

Aw

are

ness

(%

)

Ad Think? Did this advertising make you think about

whether or not you should smoke?

Almost three-fourths of the respondents agreed that the messages did make them think about whether or not to smoke.

Results: Demographics Awareness of anti-smoking messages

among the youth: Differed significantly by:

Age group: 15-17 years, race and, parental education

No significant association seen in the Age group :12-14 years gender

Results: Demographics

Youth in the 15-17 years age group were less aware of the messages on billboards.

White, non-Hispanic youth were more aware of messages on the print media and on billboards.

Youth with one or both parents who have higher education were more aware of messages on the radio.

Results: Knowledge

14 items: 11 items were agree or disagree

9 showed no significant association Range of correct responses: 80.6%-100.0%

2 differed significantly 3 items were factual statements with no

significant association Range of correct responses: 15.6%-40.6%

Results: Knowledge

Those aware of messages on the TV and radio more often agreed that people are affected by the costs of tobacco-related problems.

Respondents aware of messages on the TV more often agreed that tobacco is as addictive as other drugs, such as heroin and cocaine.

Results: Attitudes / Beliefs

18 items under 4 broad categories: Industry manipulation Autonomy Social norms General exposure

10 items showed no significant association Range of correct responses: 77.1 % - 100.0%

8 items differed significantly

Results: Attitudes / Beliefs Industry Manipulation:

Youth who were aware of messages on the TV more often believed that tobacco ads influenced youth to smoke.

Youth who were aware of messages on the radio were less likely to attend events, like concerts and sporting events, even if they were sponsored by tobacco companies.

Results: Attitudes / Beliefs

Autonomy: Youth who were aware of messages on

the radio were more likely to say they could easily refuse cigarettes, if offered.

Youth who were aware of messages on the radio were more likely to participate in community activities against tobacco use.

Results: Attitudes / Beliefs

General Exposure: Youth who were aware of radio

messages more often agreed that exposure to second-hand smoke is a serious problem.

Youth who were aware of radio messages more often agreed that tobacco use by young people is a serious problem.

Results: Attitudes / Beliefs

Youth who were aware of messages on TV were less likely to agree that smoking makes young people look cool.

Youth who were aware of messages on TV were less likely to agree that smoking makes young people more popular.

Results: Smoking Behavior

8 items: 5 items showed no significant

association 3 items differed significantly

Non-users were more aware of anti-tobacco messages.

Results: Smoking Behavior

Youth who had NEVER tried cigarette smoking were more aware of the anti-smoking messages on billboards.

Youth who had NOT smoked cigars during the past 30 days, indicated they were more aware of the anti-smoking messages on billboards than those who had used tobacco products.

Results: Smoking Behavior

Youth who had NOT smoked chewing tobacco in the past 30 days, indicated they were more aware of the anti-smoking messages on TV than those who had used tobacco products.

Interpretation Cautions

Recalled exposure vs. actual exposure.

Awareness does not always equal effectiveness.

Summary Most youth were aware of the TV media

messages and two-thirds were aware of messages in other media venues.

Most youth agreed that the media messages did make them think about whether or not they should smoke.

Non-users were more aware of anti-

smoking messages.

Summary Only a few demographic characteristics

and beliefs were significantly related to the level of message awareness, depending on the media venue.

The youth were generally quite knowledgeable and held strong anti-smoking / anti-tobacco beliefs.

Conclusions Media messages did not seem to have a

great effect on knowledge or beliefs of youth, although the messages did make them think about whether or not they should smoke.

Additional success from media campaigns to prevent tobacco use in youth may require a targeted approach towards specific sub-population groups (like race and education status of parents).