In adolescents aged 12–14, we measured attitudes to tobacco advertising. Our purpose is to understand the relation of these attitudes to tobacco use and identify the groups most influenced by the advertising.
Methods:
Survey of adolescents on Gran Canaria Island, Spain, about aspects of family, school, peers, tobacco consumption, and tobacco advertising. The subjects of the double-stratified cluster sample were 1910 students at the same grade level in 33 schools; 86.6% were 13 or 14 years old, and 51.2% were boys. We generated measures for attitudes to tobacco advertising from replies to seven questions with ordinal scales by an analysis of categorical principal components. To relate attitude to tobacco advertising and the profiles of these adolescents, we used multiple regression and logistic regression models. Results: Attitudes to tobacco advertising are related to some home and school factors, but most significantly to tobacco and alcohol consumption, to amount of time at home without adults, and to peer influence.
Conclusions:
It is possible to draw up profiles of the students most vulnerable to tobacco advertising, and to cluster them in two groups, the “vitalists” and the “credulous.” The effect of cigarette ads is different between these groups. This study can help to orientate smoking prevention.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
HaskingsG. B. and AitkenP. P., Tobacco Advertising and Children's Smoking: A Review of the Evidence, European Journal of Marketing, 29, pp. 6–17, 1995.
2.
ChapmanS., The Limitation of Econometric Analysis in Cigarette Advertising Studies, British Journal of Addiction, 1, pp. 267–274, 1989.
3.
MonismithS., Opinions of Seventh to Twelfth Graders Regarding the Effectiveness of Pro and Antismoking Messages, Journal of Drug Education, 11, pp. 213–225, 1979.
4.
WoldB.HolsteinB.GriesbachD., and CurrieC., Control of Adolescent Smoking, National Policies on Restriction of Smoking at School in Eight European Countries, Project Deliverable I funded by EC BIOMED II grant BMH4-CT98–3721, June 2000.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Preventing Tobacco Use among Young People: A Report of the Surgeon General, Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, Atlanta, Georgia, 1994.
7.
SargentJ. D.DaltonM.BeachM.BernhardtA.HeathertonT., and StevensM., Effect of Cigarette Promotions on Smoking Uptake among Adolescents, Preventive Medicine, 30, pp. 320–327, 2000.
8.
SchoolerC.FeigheryJ. E., and FloraJ. E., Seventh Grader's Self Reported Exposure to Cigarette Marketing and Its Relationship to Their Smoking Behavior, American Journal of Public Health, 861, pp. 1216–1221, 1996.
9.
KlitznerM.GruenewaldP. J., and BambergerE., Cigarette Advertising and Adolescent Experimentation with Smoking, British Journal of Addiction, 86, pp. 287–298, 1991.
10.
BotvinG. J.GoldbergC. J.BotvinE. M., and DusenburyL., Smoking Behavior of Adolescents Exposed to Cigarette Advertising, Public Health Reports, 108, pp. 217–224, 1993.
11.
PierceJ. P.ChoiW. S.GilpinE. A.FarkasA. J., and BerryC. C., Tobacco Industry Promotion of Cigarettes and Adolescent Smoking, Journal of the American Medical Association, 279, pp. 511–515, 1998.
12.
EvansN.FarkasA.GilpinE.BerryC., and PierceJ. P., Influence of Tobacco Marketing and Exposure to Smokers on Adolescent Susceptibility to Smoking, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 87, pp. 1538–1545, 1995.
13.
HawkinsK. and HaneA. C., Adolescents' Perceptions of Print Cigarette Advertising: A Case for Counteradvertising, Journal of Health Communication, 5, pp. 83–96, 2000.
14.
BorzekowskiD. L.FloraJ. E.FreigheryJ. E., and SchoolerC., The Perceived Influence of Cigarette Advertisements and Smoking Susceptibility among Seventh Graders, Journal of Health Communication, 4, pp. 105–118, 1999.
15.
AitkenP. P.EadieD. R.HastingsG. B., and HaywoodA. J., Predisposing Effects of Cigarette Advertising on Children's Attention to Smoke When Older, British Journal of Addiction, 86, pp. 383–390, 1991.
16.
LamT. H.ChunS. F.BetsonC. L.WongC. M., and HedleyA. J., Tobacco Advertisements: One of the Strongest Risk Factors for Smoking in Hong Kong Students, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 14, pp. 217–223, 1998.
17.
FeigheryJ. E.BorzekowskiD. L.SchoolerC., and FloraJ. E., Seeing, Wanting, Owning: The Relationship between Receptivity to Tobacco Marketing and Smoking Susceptibility in Young People, Tobacco Control, 7, pp. 123–128, 1998.
18.
UngerJ. B.JohnsonC. A., and RohrbachL. A., Recognition and Liking of Tobacco and Alcohol Advertisements among Adolescents: Relationships with Susceptibility to Substance Use, Preventive Medicine, 24, pp. 461–466, 1995.
19.
GilpinE. A.PierceJ. P., and RosbrookB., Are Adolescents Receptive to Current Sales Promotion Practices of the Tobacco Industry?Preventive Medicine, 26, pp. 14–21, 1997.
20.
GilpinE. A. and PierceJ. P., Trends in Adolescent Smoking Initiation in the United States: Is Tobacco Marketing an Influence?Tobacco Control, 6, pp. 122–127, 1997.
21.
DifranzaJ. R.RichardsJ. W.PaulmanP. M., RJR Nabisco's Cartoon Camel Promotes Camel Cigarettes to Children, Journal of the American Medical Association, 266, pp. 3149–3153, 1991.
22.
RomboutsK. and FauconnierG., What is Learnt Early is Learnt Well? A Study of the Influence of Tobacco Advertising on Adolescents, Journal of Health Communication, 3, pp. 303–322, 1988.
23.
PierceJ. P.GilpinE. A.BurnsD. M., Does Tobacco Advertising Target Young People to Start Smoking? Evidence from California, Journal of the American Medical Association, 266, pp. 3154–3158, 1991.
24.
EmriS.BagciT.KarakocaY., and BarisE., Recognition of Cigarette Brand Names and Logos by Primary Schoolchildren in Ankara, Turkey, Tobacco Control, 7, pp. 386–392, 1998.
25.
AlexanderH. M.CallcottR.DobsonA. J., Cigarette Smoking and Drug Use in School Children: IV-Factors Associated with Changes in Smoking Behaviour, International Journal of Epidemiology, 12, pp. 59–66, 1983.
26.
ArmstrongK.de KlercN. H.SheanR. E., Influence of Education and Advertising on the Uptake of Smoking by Children, The Medical Journal of Australia, 152, pp. 117–124, 1990.
27.
PollayR. W.SiddarthS.SiegelM.HaddixA.MerrittR. K.GiovinoG. A., and EriksenM. P., The Last Straw? Cigarette Advertising and Realized Market Shares Among Youths and Adults, 1979–1993, Journal of Marketing, 60, pp. 1–16, 1996.
28.
AitkenP. P. and EadieD. R., Reinforcing Effects of Cigarette Advertising on Under-Age Smoking, British Journal of Addiction, 85, pp. 399–412, 1990.
29.
O'ConellD. L.AlexanderH. M.DobsonA. J., Cigarette Smoking and Drug Use in School Children: II-Factors Associated with Smoking, International Journal of Epidemiology, 10, pp. 223–231, 1981.
30.
AitkenP. P.LeatharD. S., and SquairS. I., Children's Opinions on Whether or Not Cigarette Advertisements Should be Banned, Health Education Journal, 45, pp. 204–207, 1986.
31.
GoddardJ., Why Children Start Smoking, HMSO, 1990.
32.
PottsH.GilliesP., and HerbertM., Adolescent Smoking and Opinion of Cigarette Advertisements, Health Education Research, 1, pp. 195–201, 1986.
33.
DiFranzaJ. and McAfeeT., The Tobacco Institute: Helping Youth Say ‘Yes’ to Tobacco, Journal of Family Practice, 34, 1992.
34.
FischerP. M.MeyerP.SchwartzJ. W.GoldsteinA. O., and RojasT. H., Brand Logo Recognition by Children Aged Three to Six Years, Journal of the American Medical Association, 11, 1991.
35.
EpsteinJ. A.GriffinK. W., and BotvinG. J., A Model of Smoking among Inner-City Adolescents: The Role of Personal Competence and Perceived Social Benefits of Smoking, Preventive Medicine, 31, pp. 107–114, 2000.
36.
Musher-EizenmanR.HolubS. C., and ArnettM., Attitude and Peer Influences on Adolescent Substance Use: The Moderating Effect of Age, Sex, and Substance, Journal of Drug Education, 33, pp. 1–23, 2003.
37.
UngerJ. B.JohnsonC. A.RohrbachL. A., Recognition and Liking of Tobacco and Alcohol Advertisements Among Adolescents: Relationships with Susceptibility to Substance Use, Preventive Medicine, 24, pp. 461–466, 1995.
38.
PinillaJ.GonzálezB.BarberP., and SantanaY., Smoking In Young Adolescents: An Approach with Multilevel Discrete Choice Models, Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 56, pp. 227–232, 2002.
39.
VillalbiJ. R.VivesR.NebotM.DíezE., and BallestinM., El Tabaco y los Escolares: Contexto, Opiniones y Comportamiento, [Smoking and School Children: Context, Opinions and Behaviour]Medicina Clinica (Barc), 110, pp. 579–581, 1997.
40.
VillalbiJ. R.BarniolJ.NebotM.DíezE., and BallestinM., Tendencias en la Epidemiologia del Tabaquismo en los Escolares: Barcelona, 1987–1996, Atención Primaria, 23, pp. 359–362, 1999.
41.
FernandezE.SchiaffinoA.La VecchiaC.BorrasJ. M.NebotM.SaltoE.TresserrasR.RajmilL.VillalbiJ. R., and SeguraA., Age at Starting Smoking and Number of Cigarettes Smoked in Catalonia, Spain, Preventive Medicine, 28, pp. 361–366, 1999.
42.
BurtonD.SussmanS.HansenW. B.JohnsonC. A., and FlayB. R., Image Attributions and Smoking Intentions among Seventh Grade Students, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 19, pp. 656–664, 1989.
43.
PierceJ.LeeL., and GilpinE., Smoking Initiation by Adolescent Girls, 1944 through 1988: An Association with Targeted Advertising, Journal of the American Medical Association, 27: 1, pp. 608–612, 1994.
44.
PollayR. W., Advertising and Cigarettes, ARHP Clinical Proceedings, Education and Prevention Editorial, October 1996.
45.
PucciL. A. and SiegelM., Exposure to Brand Specific Cigarette Advertising in Magazines and Its Impact on Youth Smoking, Preventive Medicine, 29, pp. 313–320, 1999.
