Promotion of waterpipe tobacco use, its variants and accessories in young adult newspapers: a content analysis of message portrayal

Journal Article

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Health education research

Health Educ.Res.

Feb

152

161

LR: 20160715; CI: (c) The Author 2014; GR: 1R03CA159909-01A1/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States; GR: P20 MD006737/MD/NIMHD NIH HHS/United States; GR: R03 CA159909/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States; GR: R21 CA180934/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States; GR: R24 HD041041/HD/N

England

1465-3648; 0268-1153

PMID: 24957675

eng

Journal Article; Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't; T

10.1093/her/cyu035 [doi]

Unknown(0)

24957675

The objective of our study was to identify waterpipe tobacco smoking advertisements and those that promoted a range of products and accessories used to smoke waterpipe tobacco. The content of these advertisements was analyzed to understand the messages portrayed about waterpipe tobacco smoking in young adult (aged 18-30) newspapers. The study methods include monitoring of six newspapers targeting young adults from four major cities in the Southeastern United States over a 6-month period. A total of 87 advertisements were found; 73.5% (64) were distinct and content analyzed. The study results showed that of the advertisements analyzed, 25% advertised waterpipe tobacco smoking, 54.7% featured waterpipe tobacco smoking and other tobacco use, 14.1% featured non-tobacco waterpipe variants (i.e. vaporizers), and 6.3% featured waterpipe apparatus accessories (e.g. charcoal, hoses). The sociability (34%) and sensuality (29.7%) of waterpipe smoking were promoted themes. Alternative to cigarette use messages (3.1%), and harm-reduction messages (17.1%) emphasized that smoking waterpipe tobacco using the featured accessory or waterpipe variant was a healthier experience than cigarette smoking. The study concluded that the messages that promoted waterpipe tobacco smoking to young adults are parallel to those used to promote cigarette use. Tobacco control professionals should continue to monitor young adult newspapers as a source of waterpipe-related advertising.

. Published by Oxford University Press

Sterling,K.L., Fryer,C.S., Majeed,B., Duong,M.M.

Division of Health Promotion and Behavior, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30033, USA and Department of Behavioral and Community Health, School of Public Health, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742-2611, USA kster

20140623

PMC4296886

http://vp9py7xf3h.search.serialssolutions.com/?charset=utf-8&pmid=24957675

2015