Hair, Elizabeth C and Kreslake, Jennifer M and Tulsiani, Shreya and McKay, Tatum and Vallone, Donna (2024) Reducing e-cigarette use among youth and young adults: evidence of the truth campaign's impact. Tobacco Control, 34, (1), pp. 59-64. https://doi.org/10.1136/tc-2023-057992.
External website: https://tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2023/...
BACKGROUND Mass media campaigns have been shown to be effective in reducing cigarette use. However, evidence is limited for whether campaigns can shift e-cigarette use among youth and young adults (YYA). To assess the impact of the truth anti-e-cigarette campaign, which focused on the effects of vaping on mental health, this study examines the relationship between campaign awareness and e-cigarette behaviour among YYA.
METHODS Data from weekly cross-sectional surveys of YYA aged 15-24 years from September 2021 to October 2022 were used for multilevel models assessing how weekly campaign awareness is related to intentions to use e-cigarettes and current e-cigarette use (past 30 days). Weekly campaign awareness was calculated by averaging individual-level awareness for each week. Control variables included individual-level campaign awareness, sociodemographics, perceived financial situation, parental smoking, sensation seeking, and mental health.
RESULTS Weekly campaign awareness ranged from 50% to 78%, with most weeks (77%) being within 65% and 75% of weekly campaign awareness. At weekly awareness levels between 65% and 75%, there was a significant association with lower intentions to use e-cigarettes. A dose-response relationship was observed for current use: compared with weeks with lower (<65%) awareness, weeks with awareness of 65-70% had 14% lower odds of current use, weeks with 70-75% awareness had 16% lower odds and weeks with >75% weekly awareness had 18% lower odds (p=0.018, p=0.009 and p=0.007, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS Findings from this analysis of weekly campaign awareness demonstrate that exposure to the truth anti-e-cigarette campaign is associated with significantly lower odds of intentions to use and current use of e-cigarette among YYA.
MP-MR Policy, planning, economics, work and social services > Marketing and public relations (advertising)
N Communication, information and education > Communication > Online communication / social media
T Demographic characteristics > Adolescent / youth (teenager / young person)
T Demographic characteristics > Young adult
VA Geographic area > International
Repository Staff Only: item control page