Reported exposure to pro-tobacco messages in the media: trends among youth in the United States, 2000-2004.
OBJECTIVE
Document changes from 2000 to 2004 in youth reports of exposure to pro-tobacco messages in the mass media, including images of smoking and tobacco advertising.


METHODS
Comparison of cross-sectional data from three waves of the school-based National Youth Tobacco Surveys conducted in 2000 (N= 33,772), 2002 (N= 23,439), and 2004 (N= 23,540).


METHODS
Public and private middle schools and high schools across the United States.


METHODS
Students in grades 6 through 12.


METHODS
Smoking status; exposure to images of smoking on television and in movies; exposure to advertisements for tobacco products in stores, on the Internet, and in newspapers and magazines; demographic data.


RESULTS
Youth exposure to pro-tobacco messages declined within all media channels studied from 2000 to 2004, except the Internet. Despite these declines, most youth in the United States remain exposed to pro-tobacco messages: 81% saw images of smoking on television or in movies (down from 90%), 85% saw tobacco ads in stores (down from 88%), 50% saw tobacco ads in newspapers and magazines (down from 66%), and 33 % saw tobacco ads on the Internet (up from 22%).


CONCLUSIONS
Despite recent progress in this area, most youth in the United States are still at increased risk of smoking as a result of exposure to pro-tobacco messages in the mass media.
Duke
Jennifer C
JC
American Legacy Foundation, Research and Evaluation, Washington, DC 20036, USA. jduke@americanlegacy.org
Allen
Jane Appleyard
JA
Pederson
Linda L
LL
Mowery
Paul D
PD
Xiao
Haijun
H
Sargent
James D
JD
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D040541:Marketing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008402:Mass Media / Q000145:classification / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009040:Motion Pictures; D009524:Newspapers as Topic; D010506:Periodicals as Topic; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D012574:Schools; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology; D013690:Television; D019460:Tobacco Industry; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology