Use of Participatory Video Production in Youth Smoking Prevention

Smoking prevention is an important agenda for public health nursing, given the fact that smoking is the single most preventable cause of premature death and illness. However, although 88% of smoking initiations occur during adolescence and greater effort is required for smoking cessation, not many effective strategies for youth smoking prevention have been identified. In this study, participatory video making based on the psychological empowerment framework is used to empower youth for tobacco control. Thirty-one youths (grades 4–8) from an underserved urban community were recruited for this study. In small groups, these youths were guided to make videos that contained anti-smoking messages to be shown to their friends and family over 4 weeks in a community-based organization located in an urban area. Mixed method study design was used to test the feasibility of this program, following the concurrent embedded study model. Quantitative data, from pre- and post-intervention survey and program satisfaction survey, as well as qualitative data from interviews, were collected. Wilcoxon test resulted in positive changes in all domains of psychological empowerment, including the intention not to smoke, which were statistically significant. Qualitative descriptive inductive analysis confirms the quantitative findings, and three themes including active engagement, agentic participation for healthy community, and personal growth and healthy development were found to answer the feasibility of this study. As the first study to test the effect of the video-making process on youth tobacco prevention, this study can provide policy implications on the advance use of technology for youth smoking prevention.