title: Awareness of media-based antitobacco messages among a community sample of LGBT individuals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Study objectives were to measure awareness of general antitobacco messages in LGBT-focused and general media outlets among LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) individuals and to examine associations between sociodemographic characteristics and awareness levels.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were based on cross-sectional survey data from a racially diverse sample of participants (N = 726). Participants were primarily male (69.3%), with smaller percentages of female (21.8%) and transgender (8.9%). The median age was 31 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A higher proportion of participants reported awareness of antitobacco messages in general media outlets compared to LGBT-specific media outlets. Awareness of antitobacco messages in general media was positively associated with current smoking and negatively associated with female gender and Latino ethnicity. Awareness of antitobacco messages in LGBT media was positively associated with younger age, current smoking, frequent reading of LGBT newspapers or magazines, and frequent attendance at LGBT bars and negatively associated with Latino ethnicity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite frequent readership, awareness of antitobacco messages in LGBT newspapers/magazines was quite low. We speculate that low awareness is related to the absence of antitobacco messages in LGBT-related media. LGBT-specific media outlets provide an important opportunity for future antitobacco campaigns.
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA aliciak@uic.edu.
authors.forename: Alicia K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Matthews
authors.affiliation: Palo Alto University, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Balsam
authors.affiliation: John H. Stroger Hospital, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hotton
authors.affiliation: Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kuhns
authors.affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Chien-Ching
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Boston University, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Deborah J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Bowen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001364:Awareness; D001727:Bisexuality; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D018452:Homosexuality, Female; D018451:Homosexuality, Male; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D040241:Social Marketing; D063106:Transgender Persons; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: LGBT populations; antitobacco media campaigns; media messages; tobacco use