U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

Texas Tobacco Prevention Pilot Initiative: Processes and Effects

NCJ Number
255451
Journal
Health Education Research 19(6):657–68. Volume: 6 Issue: 19 Dated: 2004 Pages: 657-668
Date Published
2004
Length
12 pages
Annotation

This study was designed to examine how intensity of anti-smoking media campaigns and differing types of anti-smoking community-based programs influence young adolescents' tobacco use and related psychosocial variables. 

Abstract

Sixth-grade students attending 11 middle schools in eight study communities assigned to varying intervention conditions were assessed by a pre-intervention survey conducted in spring 2000. The assessment was followed by summer and fall 2000 media and community interventions that were evaluated by post-intervention data collection taking place with a new cohort of sixth graders in the same 11 schools in late fall 2000. In analyses conducted at the school level, the enhanced school and comprehensive community program conditions outperformed the no-intervention program condition to reduce tobacco use and intentions to use tobacco. Combining the intensive or low media campaign with the comprehensive community program was most effective in suppressing positive attitudes toward smoking, while the enhanced school program alone was less effective in influencing attitudes. The most consistent changes, at least short-term, to reduce teen tobacco use, susceptibility to smoking, and pro-smoking attitudes were achieved by combining the intensive media campaign with the comprehensive community program condition. 4 figures, 3 tables, and 31 references (publisher abstract modified)

Date Published: January 1, 2004