factors affecting youth awareness of anti-tobacco media messages komal kochhar, m.b.b.s., m.h.a....
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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
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).