Online Program

330203
Exploring Differences in Youth Perceptions of the Effectiveness of E-cigarette Television Advertisements


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Jennifer Duke, PhD, RTI International, Boulder, CO
Matthew C. Farrelly, PhD, Public Health Policy Research Program, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC
Matthew Eggers, MPH, Primary Prevention Research and Evaluation Program, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC
Anna MacMonegle, MA, Public Health Policy Research, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC
Kristin Arnold, MSPH, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC
Lauren Porter, PhD, MPH, Bureau of Tobacco Free Florida, Florida Department of Health, Tallahassee, FL
Background: E-cigarette use has risen rapidly among U.S. youth in recent years. Tobacco companies have entered the e‑cigarette marketplace and substantially increased e-cigarette advertising expenditures.  Research indicates that viewing e-cigarette advertising results in more positive attitudes toward and intentions to use e-cigarettes among non-users. This study examines youths’ perceptions of e-cigarette advertising and the youth characteristics associated with greater appeal. 

Methods: Examination of data from an online survey of 5,020 youth aged 13 to 17. 

Results: Multivariate models indicated that more positive reactions to four e-cigarette television advertisements were associated with youth being older (grades 9 through 12) compared to younger (grades 6 through 8) (p<0.05), living in households with higher education levels (high school or more, p<0.05), watching more than 2 hours of television (p<0.001). Controlling for the effect of traditional cigarette susceptibility on ad reactions, never e-cigarette users who were susceptible to trial in the future had more positive ad reactions compared with non-susceptible never users (p<0.001).  Never cigarette users who were susceptible to trial in the future had more positive ad reactions compared with non-susceptible never users (p<0.001). 

Discussion: U.S. e-cigarette advertisements provide positive e-cigarette messages to youth who are at risk of future initiation. These findings suggest that youths’ receptivity to these e-cigarettes advertising messages may be distinct from their susceptibility to traditional smoking.

Learning Areas:

Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research
Social and behavioral sciences

Learning Objectives:
Describe the characteristics of youth associated with positive reactions to e-cigarette advertisements. Discuss the benefits to public health organizations of understanding the role of e-cigarette advertising on youth perceptions of e-cigarettes.

Keyword(s): Tobacco Control

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Not Answered