Should anti-tobacco media messages be culturally targeted for Indigenous populations? A systematic review and narrative synthesis.
OBJECTIVE
To summarise published empirical research on culturally targeted anti-tobacco media messages for Indigenous or First Nations people and examine the evidence for the effectiveness of targeted and non-targeted campaigns.


METHODS
Studies were sought describing mass media and new media interventions for tobacco control or smoking cessation in Indigenous or First Nations populations. Studies of any design were included reporting outcomes of media-based interventions including: cognitions, awareness, recall, intention to quit and quit rates. Then, 2 reviewers independently applied inclusion criteria, which were met by 21 (5.8%) of the studies found. One author extracted data with crosschecking by a second. Both independently assessed papers using Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN; quantitative studies) and Daly et al (qualitative studies).


RESULTS
A total of 21 studies were found (4 level 1 randomised controlled trials (RCTs), 11 level 2 studies and 6 qualitative studies) and combined with narrative synthesis. Eight evaluated anti-tobacco TV or radio campaigns; two assessed US websites; three New Zealand studies examined mobile phone interventions; five evaluated print media; three evaluated a CD-ROM, a video and an edutainment intervention.


CONCLUSIONS
Although Indigenous people had good recall of generic anti-tobacco messages, culturally targeted messages were preferred. New Zealand Maori may be less responsive to holistic targeted campaigns, despite their additional benefits, compared to generic fear campaigns. Culturally targeted internet or mobile phone messages appear to be as effective in American Indians and Maori as generic messages in the general population. There is little research comparing the effect of culturally targeted versus generic messages with similar message content in Indigenous people.
School of Public Health,Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences, James Cook University, Townsville,Queensland, Australia. gillian.gould1@my.jcu.edu.au
Gillian Sandra
GS
Gould
Andy
A
McEwen
Tracey
T
Watters
Alan R
AR
Clough
Rick
R
van der Zwan
D054521:Cultural Competency; D003469:Culture; D005239:Fear; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D008402:Mass Media; D011939:Mental Recall; D009520:New Zealand; D044382:Population Groups; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D014481:United States; D014026:Nicotiana