title: Examining the effects of mass media campaign exposure and interpersonal discussions on youth's drug use: the mediating role of visiting pro-drug websites.
abstract: To extend past research on interpersonal communication and campaign effects, we hypothesized that anti-drug mass media campaign message exposure indirectly affects visiting anti- and pro-drug websites through targeted parent-child and friend-to-friend communication against drugs, as well as through having drug-related discussions during organized group activities. Second, we posited that engaging in anti-drug interpersonal communication indirectly affects adolescents' drug use through two intervening variables: visiting anti-drug websites and visiting pro-drug websites. Using self-reported longitudinal data from 2,749 youth, we found that as youth reported higher levels of anti-drug mass media campaign message exposure, they were more likely to talk to friends about the bad consequences of drugs, how to avoid drugs, and anti-drug ads. In turn, however, they were more likely to visit pro-drug websites, and subsequently, to smoke cigarettes.
authors: Department of Communication , University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA. jakam@illinois.edu
authors: Jennifer A
authors: JA
authors: Kam
authors: Chul-Joo
authors: CJ
authors: Lee
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires