Results of the "Nasty" intervention evaluation: Effects of education about tobacco marketing on attitudes and intentions of high-risk youth

The American Lung Association of DC and the DC Department of Health followed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines to develop and implement the DC Tobacco Free Families Campaign (DCTFF), a program to prevent and reduce tobacco use. The campaign targeted all of DC, but especially higher risk, underserved communities. DCTFF sponsored focus group studies to assess community needs and determine effective approaches for addressing those needs. Focus groups indicated that clear messages about health consequences delivered by an admired celebrity, such as an athlete, would be effective. DCTFF collaborated with retired NFL player and anti-tobacco advocate, Steve Fitzhugh, to develop a brief educational intervention for secondary school students, "Nasty." The intervention consists of a short video and guided discussion about reasons for smoking, and not smoking, as well as tobacco advertising strategies, including marketing toward ethnic minorities and youth. The program will be implemented in DC public schools and selected community organizations beginning February 2010. An independent evaluator will conduct a pre- and post-intervention surveys of approximately 200 youth participants. Survey items assess tobacco-related knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors before and after the intervention. Pre-and post-test scores will assess the evaluation's effectiveness in increasing knowledge and decreasing intention to smoke. A key evaluation question is whether increased understanding of tobacco marketing is related to decreased intent to smoke.