Television and delivery of health promotion programs to remote Aboriginal communities.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effect of anti-tobacco television advertising in comparison to other anti-tobacco interventions for Aboriginal people in remote communities in the Northern Territory.


METHODS
This research was carried out as part of a large study evaluating the effect of multi-component, evidence-based tobacco interventions developed in three remote communities. Community surveys (assessing changes in smoking behaviour and exposure to tobacco interventions) were used to assess exposure to and effect of television advertising, relative to other interventions over the intervention year.


RESULTS
351 community members were interviewed. Exposure to anti-tobacco television advertising was high among both smokers and non-smokers (86% vs. 85%, p = 0.78). However, those who recalled seeing anti-tobacco advertising were no more likely to have quit than those who had not (11 exposed (6%) vs. 3 non-exposed (10%), Fisher's Exact Test p = 0.42). Logistic regression showed that exposure to individual tobacco interventions was not associated with an increased chance of cessation during the intervention year.


CONCLUSIONS
Recall of anti-tobacco television advertising was high in these remote Aboriginal communities; more Aboriginal people recalled exposure to anti-tobacco television advertising than to any other cessation intervention. Although the overall cessation rate was low, a small number of smokers had given up as a result of seeing these television advertisements.
Ivers
Rowena
R
Menzies School of Health Research, Northern Territory. Rowenalvers@bigpond.com
Castro
Anthony
A
Parfitt
David
D
Bailie
Ross S
RS
Richmond
Robyn L
RL
D'Abbs
Peter H
PH
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015876:Northern Territory / Q000453:epidemiology; D015397:Program Evaluation; D019035:Rural Health Services; D012907:Smoking / Q000208:ethnology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000208:ethnology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013690:Television / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*