Media campaign influences parents' opinions about their children and tobacco

J Public Health Manag Pract. 2003 Jan-Feb;9(1):72-8. doi: 10.1097/00124784-200301000-00010.

Abstract

The study assessed the effectiveness of a media campaign in convincing parents that children are targeted by the tobacco industry and that children should be banned from tobacco use. An 800-parent sample survey was conducted prior to a statewide anti-tobacco campaign, and another survey sample of 790 parents was conducted afterward.

The results: Though parents who smoked in high school and those who did not agreed that children are targeted and should be banned from tobacco use, parents who did not smoke in high school believed it more strongly. Parents who had a history of smoking changed more on the issue of banning, perhaps because they had more room to change. The study concluded that media campaigns can change parents' attitudes.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Attitude to Health
  • Child
  • Child Welfare*
  • Female
  • Health Promotion / organization & administration*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mass Media*
  • Middle Aged
  • Mississippi / epidemiology
  • Parent-Child Relations*
  • Parents / psychology*
  • Persuasive Communication
  • Program Evaluation
  • Smoking / epidemiology
  • Smoking Prevention*
  • Social Marketing*