The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #59348

Rebecca Murphy-Hoefer, PhD, Health Communications Branch, CDC Office On Smoking And Health, 4770 Buford Hwy NE, MS- K50, Atlanta, GA 30341, 770-488-5345, RMurphy1@cdc.gov

Cigarette smoking among college students has been rising in the US. The tobacco industry is targeting this age group. College students have misperceptions about addiction and the harm caused by tobacco use. One of the key components of a tobacco control program is media. Media is usually the most visible component of an intervention. The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of tobacco use by college students and which types anti-tobacco media messages are perceived effective among college students. A total of 1,180 college students from two universities in the northern and southern United States observed three different types of message categories (social norm, health consequences, and tobacco industry manipulation). A survey was used to asses perceptions of tobacco use and anti-tobacco advertisements. A total of twelve television advertisements were used in the research study. Students in the north and south had similar results. College students greatly underestimated susceptibility to nicotine addiction and the immediate harm caused by tobacco use. The ability of the messages to gain students’ attention and have the students talk with their friends about the message varied according to message type and execution style. Of the smokers in the sample (30%), intention to quit smoking in the next three months changed significantly. Pretesting messages is critical to the success of a public health initiative. Existing methodologies are conducive for message development and pretesting. Programs can be improved by using salient messages among the target population, as outlined in social marketing.

Learning Objectives:

• List three misperceptions of college students regarding smoking.
• Articulate the procedure for assessing young adults' misperceptions about tobacco use and assessing anti-tobacco messages.
• Identify the differences between college-age occasional and frequent smokers and identify which anti-tobacco advertisements resonate the most among them.

Keywords: Media, College Students

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.