Development and Pretesting of Hookah Tobacco Public Education Messages for Young Adults

Lilianna Phan, Andrea C. Villanti, Glenn Leshner, Theodore L. Wagener, Elise M. Stevens, Andrea C. Johnson and Darren Mays
Additional contact information
Lilianna Phan: Cancer Prevention & Control Program, Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center, Georgetown University Medical Center, 3300 Whitehaven Street NW, Suite 4100, Washington, DC 20007, USA
Andrea C. Villanti: Vermont Center on Behavior and Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Vermont, 1 South Prospect Street MS 482, Burlington, VT 05401, USA
Glenn Leshner: Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, University of Oklahoma, 3520B Gaylord Hall, Norman, OK 73019, USA
Theodore L. Wagener: Center for Tobacco Research, The Ohio State University James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, 3650 Olentangy River Road, Suite 410, Columbus, OH 43214, USA
Elise M. Stevens: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, 677 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, USA
Andrea C. Johnson: Department of Psychiatry and Tobacco Center of Regulatory Science, Perlman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Darren Mays: Center for Tobacco Research, The Ohio State University James Comprehensive Cancer Center, Department of Internal Medicine, The Ohio State University, 3650 Olentangy River Road, Suite 410, Columbus, OH 43214, USA

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 23, 1-14

Abstract: Young adults’ hookah tobacco use is fueled by misperceptions about risks, appealing flavors, and social use. We developed and pretested public education messages to prevent and reduce hookah tobacco smoking among young adults. We used a two (user status: current hookah user, susceptible never user) by two (risk content: health harms or addiction) by three (message theme: harms/addiction risk alone, harms/addiction risk flavors, or harms/addiction risk social use) design with two messages/condition ( n = 12 total messages). Young adults aged 18–30 ( N = 713) were randomized to 1 of 12 messages and completed measures assessing message receptivity, attitudes, and negative emotional response. Harms messages were associated with greater receptivity ( p < 0.001), positive attitudes ( p < 0.001), and negative emotional response ( p < 0.001) than addiction messages. Messages with harm or addiction content alone were associated with greater receptivity than social use-themed messages ( p = 0.058). Flavor-themed messages did not differ in receptivity from harm or addiction content alone or social use-themed messages. Messages about the health harms of hookah tobacco use resonate more with young adults than addiction risk messages. Social use-themed messages produce the lowest receptivity. These findings can guide population-based approaches to communicate hookah tobacco risks to young adults.

Keywords: tobacco; hookah; waterpipe; public education; young adults (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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