Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #113196

Jie W. Weiss¹, Steven Cen², Darleen V. Schuster, MA, MPH, CHES³, Jennifer Unger, PhD⁴, Anderson Johnson⁵, Michele Mouttapa, PhD⁶, and Tess Boley Cruz, PhD, MPH³. (1) 800 N. State College Blvd., Division of Kinesiology and Health Science, California State University, Fullerton, P.O. Box 6870, Fullerton, CA 92834, (2) Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, 1000 S. Fremont Ave. Box 8, Alhambra, CA 91803, (3) Keck School of Medicine, Department of Preventive Medicine, University of Southern California, 1000 South Fremont, Unit 8, Room 5129, Alhambra, CA 91803, (4) Institute for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention Research, University of Southern California, 1000 S. Fremont Avenue, Unit 8, Alhambra, CA 91803, (5) Department of Preventive Medicine, University of S. California, 1540 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90089, (6) David GEffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, 11075 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90025-7539, 310-267-5237, mmouttapa@ucla.edu

Most adolescents in the U.S. are exposed to pro-tobacco images and advertising in many locations in their daily lives. Because the pro-tobacco message cannot be completely suppressed, anti-tobacco media campaigns, usually sponsored by governmental agencies, try to counter their effects. In this study, we examined the longitudinal impact of self-reported exposure to pro- and anti-tobacco media exposure on adolescents' susceptibility to smoking, using in-school surveys from a culturally diverse sample. In addition, ethnicity and acculturation were examined as potential moderators. Middle-school students (N=2292) completed self-report questionnaires during the 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Our results indicate that exposure to both pro-and anti-tobacco advertisements predict changes in smoking susceptibility. Exposure to pro-tobacco media at baseline was associated with an increased risk of smoking susceptibility in year 2 and 3 while exposure to anti-tobacco media at baseline was associated with a decreased risk of smoking susceptibility in year 2 or 3. However, we did not find that pro- and anti-tobacco media interacted in their effects on susceptibility, nor did ethnicity and acculturation moderate the effects of media exposure. Our longitudinal study provides compelling evidence that pro-tobacco media increases susceptibility to smoking over time. More importantly, while there is a potential for anti-tobacco advertisements to limit adolescents' susceptibility to smoking, our results indicate that an anti-tobacco campaign alone is unlikely to negate the large effect of pro-tobacco media exposure. In order to reduce adolescent smoking, stronger measures, such as policy for controlling pro-tobacco advertising and tobacco-supportive media portrayals, will be needed.

Learning Objectives:

• Exposure to both pro- and anti-tobacco advertisements predict changes in smoking susceptibility. Exposure to pro-tobacco media at baseline was associated with an increased risk of smoking susceptibility in year 2 and 3 while exposure to anti-tobacco media at baseline was associated with a decreased risk of smoking susceptibility in year 2 or 3.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Smoking

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation