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Effective Strategies in Tobacco
Counteradvertising
Aimed at Bicultural Mexican-American Youth
Principal Investigator:
Kathleen J. Kelly, Ph.D.
Co-Investigators:
Gabriel Gonzalez, Ph.D.
Michael D. Slater, Ph.D.
Colorado State University
PROJECT SUMMARY
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We propose an innovative and cost-effective study
that addresses a critical lack of knowledge regarding the most effective
language and appeals to use in tobacco counteradvertising to bicultural
Mexican-American youth. Latinos are now the largest minority population
in the U.S., with Mexican-Americans constituting the largest percentage
of this population. While tobacco use among other ethnic youth groups
has declined, Latino youth smoking has increased. Acculturative stress,
the erosion of protective norms, and continued targeting of tobacco
advertising toward Latino youth have been cited as reasons for the
increase. Mexican-American youth who live in the U.S.-Mexico border area
are of particular concern because of the relative ease of purchasing
cigarettes across the border in Mexico, and because of unrestricted
broadcast advertising of cigarettes in Mexico that can be picked up in
U.S. homes.
Counteradvertising is a key strategy to consider in tobacco prevention
efforts. Success depends on adapting ad messages and themes to reflect
the culture of the target audience, but little is known about effective
strategies. Our proposed study is groundbreaking for addressing this
issue in the following ways: |
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We propose to examine the most effective
language to use: English, Spanish, or Spanglish. Although the use of
Spanglish has gained momentum nationally and is commonplace in
border communities, no studies to our knowledge have examined
Spanglish prevention messages aimed at bilinguals.
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We will explore three promising and timely
themes – negative health consequences, anti-tobacco social norms,
and tobacco industry manipulation – that have not been examined in
the context of a bilingual Latino youth audience.
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We will assess important potential moderators of
ad preference, including acculturation; respondent’s attitudes,
intentions, and use with respect to tobacco; peers’ and family
members’ attitudes and use; perceived school and community norms;
and demographic factors.
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To provide oversight on all of these components,
we have assembled a multidisciplinary staff with expertise in
conducting advertising research, message testing, and
epidemiological studies with multicultural populations.
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We will work with U.S.-Mexico border communities to
conduct our study. Our sample will consist of 300 bilingual
Mexican-American high-school students. Participants will be exposed to
six tobacco counteradvertisements (comprised of two executions of the
three different themes) in one language (English, Spanish, or Spanglish).
Components of the instrument will include attitude-toward-ad
assessments, an orthogonal acculturation scale, and the American Tobacco
Survey™.
Findings from our study will inform governmental recommendations
regarding the development of tobacco prevention materials to bicultural
Latino youth. Tobacco-control efforts by schools, health departments,
community coalitions, border health organizations, and national
organizations would also benefit from the results of this study. We will
ensure that findings reach key stakeholders by disseminating through
traditional and non-traditional avenues targeting prevention program
administrators, Latino community leaders, and researchers. |
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