title: Time trend of smoking scenes in Iranian movies during the past three decades (1982-2011): a historical analysis.
abstract: Evidence from the USA and elsewhere has linked smoking depictions in movies with youth smoking initiation. Prior research has not focused on depictions in films produced in the Middle East, however.
  
  
  
  We reviewed the 10 most commercially successful Iranian films released each year over three decades (1982-2011) to determine trends in depictions of tobacco use over time.
  
  
  
  Each movie was reviewed in its entirety, and depictions of smoking were recorded and classified as direct (characters holding or using tobacco products) and indirect (tobacco products appearing in the frame, but not being used). Time trends in average duration of direct, indirect and total smoking depictions were analysed using linear regression and Cohen's κ coefficient.
  
  
  
  The mean duration of tobacco depictions in the most commercially successful Iranian films fluctuated yearly over the 3 decades, but with an overall significant upward trend (p<0.005). The proportion of movies depicting tobacco consumption during the three decades was 36% (1982-1991), 60% (1992-2001) and 74% (2002-2011), respectively. The average proportion of total movie time for these depictions (0.75%, 1.41%, 2.08%) increased significantly (p<0.005) over the 3 decades as did the average duration of smoking depictions,(39.1, 67 and 99.3 s, respectively, p<0.005).
  
  
  
  The significant increase in the proportion of movies depicting tobacco consumption and in the duration of smoking depictions over the past 30 years underscores the need for increased regulation of the Iranian film industry to minimise this important source of influence on tobacco initiation in young people.
authors.affiliation: Tobacco Prevention and Control Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Gholamreza
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Heydari
authors.affiliation: Community Oral Health Department, School of Dentistry, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Arezoo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ebn Ahmady
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Harry A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Lando
authors.affiliation: Department of Library, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fahimeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chamyani
authors.affiliation: Chronic Respiratory Research Center, National Research Institute of Tuberculosis and Lung Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Masjedi
authors.affiliation: Tracheal Diseases Research Center, National Research Institute of TB & Lung Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Shadmehr
authors.affiliation: Telemedicine Research Center, National Research Institute of TB & Lung Diseases, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Lida
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fadaizadeh
authors.affiliation: Department of Biostatistics, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chaibakhsh
mesh_terms: D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran; D016014:Linear Models; D009040:Motion Pictures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D013997:Time Factors; D062789:Tobacco Products; D000073869:Tobacco Smoking
keywords: Advertising and Promotion; Media; Tobacco industry