Effects of anti-smoking advertising, tobacco-related press coverage and tobacco control policies on smoking behaviour [ 2006 - 2007 ]

Research Grant

Researchers: Prof Melanie Wakefield (Principal investigator) ,  Prof Julie Simpson ,  Prof Mohammad Siahpush ,  Prof Robert Donovan ,  Prof Simon Chapman
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Brief description Tobacco control programs invest significant resources into the production, development, and placement of anti-smoking advertisements. Evaluation of anti-smoking advertising campaigns is made difficult by the fact that they operate within the broader social context of changing tobacco control policies, tobacco marketing, and other forms of relevant paid and unpaid media. Public health advocates spend considerable effort attempting to obtain favourable news coverage about tobacco control issues, yet virtually no research has systematically related the volume and nature of news coverage on tobacco issues to smoking behaviour change. This study will exploit the existing variation in tobacco control acitvity between states and over time to study effects of these two forms of media and tobacco control policies on youth and adult smoking behaviour. The study will merge reliable measures of exposure to televised anti-smoking advertising, press coverage about tobacco issues and detailed quantified measures of other tobacco control policies, with monthly surveys of smoking prevalence and consumption from 1991 to 2005. This unique monthly survey database has tracked smoking behaviour changes over time and between states using a standard method over the course of a 15-year period. Analysis of the data will determine the most optimum levels of anti-smoking advertised required to reduce smoking, the potential influence of news reporting as a way of educating people to reduce smoking and effects of tobacco policies, such as advertising bans, smoke-free policies and youth access policies on smoking behaviour. By assessing the effectiveness of anti-smoking advertising and other tobacco policies in changing smoking behaviour, this study will guide public health policy and funding decisions related to tobacco control.

Funding Amount $AUD 358,696.90

Funding Scheme NHMRC Project Grants

Notes Standard Project Grant