218967 Perceptions about Established and Emerging Tobacco Products: Results from Eight Focus Groups with Young Adults

Monday, November 8, 2010

Susan Berman, MA Stanford University , School of Public Health, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO
Ricardo Wray, PhD Communications , Department of Public Health, Saint Louis University, saint Louis, MO
Keri Jupka, MPH, Saint Louis Univeristy , department of Public Health, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO
Stacie Zellin, BS , School of Public Health, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO
Santosh Vijaykumar, ABD , Department of Public Health, Saint Louis University, saint Louis, MO
Background: Young adults are targets for tobacco product purchase and consumption. As product lines expand, young adults may be more susceptible to multiple influences, including peers, family and advertising. Method: Researchers conducted eight focus groups with 67 participants mostly 18-24 years old. Participants included users and non-users, residing in rural and urban areas, and in states with tobacco ordinances and without. Participants provided feedback about knowledge, beliefs and attitudes concerning tobacco products and media. Results: Participants reported knowledge and perceptions about a wide range of tobacco products. They were unclear about the relative harmful effects of smokeless tobacco, hookah, chew, and nicotine replacement products. Only minor differences in tobacco-related knowledge, beliefs and attitudes were found among urban and rural participants and those in ordinance and non-ordinance states. Differences were found between user and non-user groups. Users had a sense of invincibility and rationalized about the possibility of negative health outcomes especially related to smokeless tobacco, hookah and chew. Some users showed interest in quitting, but peer influence, product availability, freedom of choice and unclear potential harm from alternatives hindered cessation. While choosing not to use, many non-users respected the choices of their peers and family members who used tobacco products. Conclusions: Young adults are knowledgeable about traditional tobacco products, however new tobacco products or emerging tobacco trends such as snus or hookah are less understood by young adults. Tobacco prevention and cessation information directed at young adults should include information on the dangers of these products.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Assessment of individual and community needs for health education
Communication and informatics
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
1. Describe the knowledge, beliefs and attitudes of young adults regarding established and emerging tobacco products and the media associated with those products. 2. Identify differences in knowledge, beliefs and attitudes between young adult tobacco users and non-users. 3. Discuss needs for anti-tobacco messaging targeted to this age group.

Keywords: Media Campaigns, Tobacco

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I was part of the team that gathered and analyzed the data for publication.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.