5208.0: Wednesday, October 24, 2001 - Table 6

Abstract #22417

Trumpeter Campaign: Results of a youth tobacco use prevention program addressing media literacy

Heather M. Brandt, MSPH, CHES, The Trumpeter Campaign, South Carolina Cancer Center, Taylor at Marion Street, POB - Basement, Columbia, SC 29220, 803-419-0493, hbrandt123@aol.com, Gregory J. Kirkner, MPH, Dept. of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of South Carolina, Norman J. Arnold School of Public Health, Columbia, SC 29208, Marisette B. Hasan, RN, BSN, Community Services Department, Palmetto Health Alliance, Post Office Box 2266, Columbia, SC 29202-2266, and Debra D. Seale, MN, RN, Administration, South Carolina Cancer Center, Seven Richland Medical Park, Columbia, SC 29203.

The Trumpeter Campaign of the South Carolina Cancer Center provides free youth tobacco use prevention programs for sixth grade students in 23 schools in the greater Columbia, SC area. In the 2000-2001 Campaign, over 3,500 students in 15 schools participated in the in-school programs utilizing the CDC's MediaSharp curriculum. Prior to and following the intervention programs, students completed a 12-item questionnaire addressing their interaction with, knowledge and beliefs about, and influence of peer pressure on tobacco use. 2,270 completed the pre-test and 2,090 completed the post-test. No identifiers other than school were collected from the students. Eight questions were compiled into an index of risk to predict experimentation with tobacco products. Logistic regression analysis showed a significant age-adjusted relationship between lower index scores and tobacco trial. Students with index scores in the lowest quartile were more than 9 times more likely to have ever tried tobacco products (OR=9.76, 95% CI: 6.77-14.08). Moreover, aggregate data revealed a significant (p=0.01) change in index scores from pre-test (77.8) to post-test (79.0). Many of the students have ever (47%) or currently (30%) lived with someone who uses tobacco products. Exposure to tobacco products was related to ever having tried tobacco products. 18% of students self-reported having tried tobacco products. Results show programs addressing media literacy may have an impact on youth and may contribute to reduced risk for use of tobacco products according to this ecological analysis. See www.sccancercenter.org

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to: (1) identify key factors predicting youth tobacco use experimentation as determined by the Trumpeter Campaign program; (2) discuss issues of importance to youth related to media literacy; (3) list factors related to knowledge and beliefs among youth; and (4) understand youth-to-youth tobacco use prevention strategies.

Keywords: Tobacco, Youth

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: South Carolina Cancer Center, Columbia, SC
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.

The 129th Annual Meeting of APHA