title: Antismoking television advertising and socioeconomic variations in calls to Quitline.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the socioeconomic variations in call rates to the Quitline (Victoria, Australia) and in the impact of anti-tobacco television advertising on call rates.
  
  
  METHODS
  The outcome measure was the number of calls to the Quitline in Victoria for each week for each socioeconomic group for the period January 2001 to March 2004. Socioeconomic status (SES) was derived from the caller's postcode using the Index of Socioeconomic Disadvantage provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The exposure measure was weekly Target Audience Rating Points (TARPs, a standard measure of television advertising weight) for anti-tobacco advertising broadcast in Victoria over the same period. Negative binomial regression was used to examine the interaction of SES and TARPs in their effect on the number of Quitline calls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  SES and call rates were positively associated. Adjusted call rate was 57% (95% CI 45% to 69%) higher in the highest than the lowest SES quintile. SES differences in call rates were stable over time. In the study period, the effect of the presence or increasing levels of antismoking TARPs on call rates did not vary across categories of SES.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the study period, different SES groups had a similar level of responsiveness to antismoking television advertisements, at least as measured by the rate of calls to the Quitline. However, the present media campaigns are not likely to diminish SES differences in call rates, and more needs to be done to encourage disadvantaged groups to call the Quitline.
authors: Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, The Cancer Council Victoria, 100 Drummond Street, Carlton 3053 Victoria, Australia. mohammad.siahpush@cancervic.org.au
authors: Mohammad
authors: M
authors: Siahpush
authors: Melanie
authors: M
authors: Wakefield
authors: Matt
authors: M
authors: Spittal
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Durkin
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000329:Advertising / Q000379:methods*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D015277:Hotlines / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D012306:Risk; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013690:Television; D014739:Victoria / Q000453:epidemiology