The influence of tobacco countermarketing ads on college students' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs.
OBJECTIVE
To determine which antitobacco messages were perceived effective in changing college students' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about tobacco use.


METHODS
College students (n = 1,020) were surveyed before and after viewing 4 30-second antitobacco advertisements in 1 of 3 theme categories-social norms, health consequences, or tobacco industry manipulation.


METHODS
An independent samples t test was used to test for differences in the mean responses to the knowledge, attitude, and belief questions at posttest by smoking status and gender.


RESULTS
Health consequences ads significantly increased overall knowledge and negative attitudes and beliefs.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings from this study may help health educators who work in college settings and other young adult settings to include media messages as part of a comprehensive tobacco control program.
Murphy-Hoefer
Rebecca
R
Department of Communication, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia 30144, USA. murphy.rebecca@ymail.com
Hyland
Andrew
A
Rivard
Cheryl
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000329:Advertising; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001130:Arizona; D002140:California; D003625:Data Collection; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D008404:Massachusetts; D011634:Public Health; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D040241:Social Marketing; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019460:Tobacco Industry; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult