Mass media for smoking cessation in adolescents

Health Educ Behav. 2009 Aug;36(4):642-59. doi: 10.1177/1090198106298421. Epub 2007 Jun 29.

Abstract

Theory-driven, mass media interventions prevent smoking among youth. This study examined effects of a media campaign on adolescent smoking cessation. Four matched pairs of media markets in four states were randomized to receive or not receive a 3-year television/radio campaign aimed at adolescent smoking cessation based on social cognitive theory. The authors enrolled 2,030 adolescent smokers into the cohort (n = 987 experimental; n = 1,043 comparison) and assessed them via annual telephone surveys for 3 years. Although the condition by time interaction was not significant, the proportion of adolescents smoking in the past month was significantly lower in the experimental than comparison condition at 3-year follow-up when adjusted for baseline smoking status. The media campaign did not impact targeted mediating variables. A media campaign based on social cognitive constructs produced a modest overall effect on smoking prevalence among adolescents, but the role of theory-based constructs is unclear.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Cohort Studies
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Health Promotion*
  • Health Surveys
  • Humans
  • Interviews as Topic
  • Leisure Activities*
  • Matched-Pair Analysis
  • Motor Activity*
  • Radio*
  • Smoking / epidemiology
  • Smoking Cessation / statistics & numerical data*
  • Television*