title: Youth Receptivity to FDA's The Real Cost Tobacco Prevention Campaign: Evidence From Message Pretesting.
abstract: In February 2014, the Food and Drug Administration launched The Real Cost, a national youth tobacco prevention campaign. This article examines youth receptivity to potential campaign ads using data from 3 message pretesting studies featuring the same design and consistent instrumentation. A total of 3,258 adolescents ages 13-17 were randomized to either an ad-viewing condition or a no-exposure control condition. Perceived ad effectiveness, smoking-related beliefs, and attitudes were measured as outcome variables. The sample consisted of both experimental smokers (58%) and current nonsmokers at risk for cigarette initiation (42%). A total of 14 ads were tested across the three studies. Participants who viewed the ads generally considered them to be effective (with a mean perceived ad effectiveness score of 3.66 on a scale from 1 to 5). Compared to those in the control condition, participants in the ad-viewing condition reported stronger beliefs about the health risks of smoking (p < .001), a greater likelihood that smoking would lead to loss of control in life (p < .001), and more negative attitudes toward smoking (p < .001). Responses to campaign ads were largely consistent between experimenters and at-risk nonsmokers. Implications of the findings for the campaign are discussed.
authors.affiliation: a Center for Tobacco Products, Food and Drug Administration , Silver Spring , Maryland , USA.|b Department of Communication , George Mason University , Fairfax , Virginia , USA.
authors.forename: Xiaoquan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: a Center for Tobacco Products, Food and Drug Administration , Silver Spring , Maryland , USA.
authors.forename: Tesfa N
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Alexander
authors.affiliation: a Center for Tobacco Products, Food and Drug Administration , Silver Spring , Maryland , USA.
authors.forename: Leah
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.affiliation: a Center for Tobacco Products, Food and Drug Administration , Silver Spring , Maryland , USA.
authors.forename: Chaunetta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: a Center for Tobacco Products, Food and Drug Administration , Silver Spring , Maryland , USA.
authors.forename: Janine
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delahanty
authors.affiliation: c FDA Tobacco Regulatory Science Fellowship , National Academy of Medicine , Washington , DC , USA.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.affiliation: c FDA Tobacco Regulatory Science Fellowship , National Academy of Medicine , Washington , DC , USA.
authors.forename: Amanda T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Berger
authors.affiliation: a Center for Tobacco Products, Food and Drug Administration , Silver Spring , Maryland , USA.
authors.forename: Emily
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Talbert
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000329:Advertising; D005260:Female; D058015:Health Communication / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015397:Program Evaluation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D014481:United States; D014486:United States Food and Drug Administration