title: Rural Print Media and a Tailored Advocacy Intervention for Smoke-Free Policy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine frequency, prominence, and content of local print media after a 4-year policy advocacy intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a controlled community-based trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study took place in 39 rural counties (22 intervention, 17 comparison).
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects consisted of 2525 newspaper articles monitored over 18 quarters (July 2007 to December 2011).
  
  
  METHODS
  One key element of the tailored policy advocacy intervention delivered by community advisors was building demand for smoke-free policy via media advocacy strategies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Media clips were coded to assess number of articles; percent of tobacco-related articles on the front page or bold heading section; percent of pro-health articles; and percent of articles with secondhand smoke (SHS)-relevant topics or themes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Coded data were entered into Atlas.ti software. Article frequencies and attributes were compared between groups and over time using negative binomial regression for longitudinal data, with county-level demographics as covariates.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the last 3 years, there were approximately twice as many articles in intervention than in comparison counties. Media clips from newspapers in intervention counties were between 1.4 and 2 times more likely to have front page placement and percent of relevant topic or theme than were those in comparison counties. There was no difference in rate of pro-health articles by group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The policy advocacy intervention to promote smoke-free policy increased media attention to SHS and may have increased public awareness of issues related to smoke-free policy.
authors.affiliation: 1 College of Nursing and the College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
authors.forename: Ellen J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Hahn
authors.affiliation: 3 College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
authors.forename: Jeslyn K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kolpek
authors.affiliation: 3 College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: 2 College of Nursing and the College of Communication and Information Studies, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
authors.forename: Rachael
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Record
authors.affiliation: 3 College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
authors.forename: Amanda T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Wiggins
authors.affiliation: 3 College of Nursing, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Butler
authors.affiliation: 1 College of Nursing and the College of Public Health, University of Kentucky, Lexington, Kentucky.
authors.forename: Mary Kay
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Rayens
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003254:Consumer Advocacy; D006801:Humans; D007629:Kentucky / Q000453:epidemiology; D008402:Mass Media; D012424:Rural Population; D061845:Smoke-Free Policy; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Health Disparities; Health focus: smoking control; Media; Outcome measure: behavioral; Prevention Research. Manuscript format: research; Public Policy; Research purpose: intervention testing; Rural Health; Setting: local community; Study design: randomized trial; Target population age: adults; Target population circumstances: geographic location; Tobacco