Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Smokers' Neurological Responses To Novel And Repeated Health Warning Labels (Hwls) From Cigarette Packages, Johann F. Fridriksson, Chris Rorden, Roger D. Newman-Norlund, Brett Froeliger, Jim Thrasher

Faculty Publications

Graphic health warning labels (HWLs) depicting bodily injury due to smoking are effective for producing changes in affect, cognition and smoking behavior in adult smokers. However, little is known about the effects of repeated presentation of graphic HWL’s on the aforementioned processes. The goal of this study was to examine neural and behavioral responses to graphic HWL’s and evaluate whether the repeated presentation of graphic HWL’s leads to repetition suppression (RS). Smokers (N = 16) performed an event-related HWL cue task while blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal was collected during a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experimental session. Consistent …

Which Type Of Tobacco Product Warning Imagery Is More Effective And Sustainable Over Time?, Dien Anshari, Hua-Hei Yong, Ron Borland, Kamala Swayampakala, Jim Thrasher

Faculty Publications

Objective This study examined smokers’ responses to pictorial health warnings (PHWs) with different types of imagery under natural exposure conditions.

Methods Adult smokers from online panels in Canada (n=2357), Australia (n=1671) and Mexico (n=2537) were surveyed every 4 months from 2012 to 2013. Participants were shown PHWs on packs in their respective countries and asked about: (1) noticing PHWs; (2) negative affects towards PHWs; (3) believability of PHWs; (4) PHW-stimulated discussions; and (5) quit motivation due to PHWs. Country-specific generalised estimating equation models regressed these outcomes on time (ie, survey wave), PHW imagery type (ie, symbolic representations of risk, suffering …

Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking And Susceptibility To Cigarette Smoking Among Young Adults In The United States, 2012–2013, Ramzi G. Salloum, M. Rifat Haider, Tracey E. Barnett, Yi Guo, Kayla R. Getz, Jim Thrasher, Wasim Maziak

Faculty Publications

INTRODUCTION:

Waterpipe tobacco smoking, also known as hookah and shisha, has surged in popularity among young people in the United States. Waterpipe is also increasingly becoming the first tobacco product that young people try. Given the limited access to and limited portability of waterpipes, waterpipe smokers who become more nicotine dependent over time may be more likely to turn to cigarettes. This study examined the relationship between waterpipe tobacco smoking and susceptibility to cigarette smoking among young adults in the United States.

METHODS:

Using data from the 2012-2013 National Adult Tobacco Survey, a nationally representative sample of US adults, we …

Filter Presence And Tipping Paper Color Influence Consumer Perceptions Of Cigarettes, Richard J. O’Connor, Maansi Bansal-Travers, K. Michael Cummings, David Hammond, Jim Thrasher, Cindy Tworek

Faculty Publications

Background: Cigarettes are marketed in a wide array of packaging and product configurations, and these may impact consumers’ perceptions of product health effects and attractiveness. Filtered cigarettes are typically perceived as less hazardous and white tipping paper (as opposed to cork) often conveys ‘lightness’.

Methods: This study examined cigarette-related perceptions among 1220 young adult (age 18-35) current, ever, and never smokers recruited from three eastern U.S. cities (Buffalo NY, Columbia SC, Morgantown WV). Participants rated three cigarette sticks: two filtered cigarettes 85 mm in length, differing only in tipping paper color (cork versus white), and an unfiltered 70 mm cigarette. …

Comparison Of Tobacco And Alcohol Use In Films Produced In Europe, Latin America, And The United States, Inti Barrientos-Gutierrez, Christy Kollath-Cattano, Raul Mejía, Edna Arillo-Santillán, Reiner Hanewinkel, Matthis Morgenstern, James D. Sargent, Jim Thrasher

Faculty Publications

Background: Studies that have evaluated tobacco and alcohol portrayals in films have mainly focused on US films. Our aim is to describe tobacco and alcohol portrayals in nationally produced films from six European and two Latin American countries, and compare them with US produced films.

Methods: A sample of 337 nationally produced and 502 US produced films, consisting of top grossing films from 2004 to 2009 in each country, was content coded for presence of tobacco or alcohol and seconds of tobacco or alcohol use. Logistic and linear regression models were estimated for all films and youth-rated films (Ages 0–14) …

The Impact Of Free Trial Acceptance On Demand For Alternative Nicotine Products: Evidence From Experimental Auctions, Matthew C. Rousu, Richard J. O'Connor, Maans Bansal-Travers, James M. Pitcavage, Jim Thrasher

Faculty Publications

Objectives: This study explored the relationship between product trials and consumer demand for alternative nicotine products (ANP).

Methods: An experimental auction was conducted with 258 adult smokers, wherein participants were randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions. The participants received the opportunity to try, but did not have to accept, one of three relatively novel ST products (i.e., snus, dissolvable tobacco, or medicinal nicotine), or they were placed into a control group (i.e., no trial). All the participants then bid on all three of these products, as well as on cigarettes. We assessed interest in using ANP based on …

Impact Of Tobacco-Related Health Warning Labels Across Socioeconomic, Race And Ethnic Groups: Results From A Randomized Web-Based Experiment, Jennifer Cantrell, Donna M. Vallone, Jim Thrasher, Reebekah H. Nagler, Shari P. Feirman, Larry R. Muenz, David Y. He, Kasisomayajula Viswanath

Faculty Publications

Background: The U.S. Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 requires updating of the existing textonly health warning labels on tobacco packaging with nine new warning statements accompanied by pictorial images. Survey and experimental research in the U.S. and other countries supports the effectiveness of pictorial health warning labels compared with text-only warnings for informing smokers about the risks of smoking and encouraging cessation. Yet very little research has examined differences in reactions to warning labels by race/ethnicity, education or income despite evidence that population subgroups may differ in their ability to process health information. The purpose of …

Impact Of Tobacco-Related Health Warning Labels Across Socioeconomic, Race And Ethnic Groups: Results From A Randomized Web-Based Experiment, Jennifer Cantrell, Donna M. Vallone, Jim Thrasher, Rebekah H. Nagler, Shari P. Feirman, Larry R. Muenz, David Y. He, Kasisomayajula Viswanath

Faculty Publications

Background: The U.S. Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009 requires updating of the existing textonly health warning labels on tobacco packaging with nine new warning statements accompanied by pictorial images. Survey and experimental research in the U.S. and other countries supports the effectiveness of pictorial health warning labels compared with text-only warnings for informing smokers about the risks of smoking and encouraging cessation. Yet very little research has examined differences in reactions to warning labels by race/ethnicity, education or income despite evidence that population subgroups may differ in their ability to process health information. The purpose of …

Prevalence And Correlates Of Receiving Cigarettes As Gifts And Selecting Preferred Brand Because It Was Gifted: Findings From The Itc China Survey, Li-Ling Huang, Jim Thrasher, Yuan Jiang, Qiang Li, Geoffrey T. Fong, Anne Ck Quah

Faculty Publications

Background: Giving cigarettes as gifts is a common practice in China, but there have been few systematic studies of this practice. The present study was designed to estimate the incidence of receiving cigarettes as gifts, correlates of this practice, and its impact on brand selection in a representative sample of urban adult smokers in China.

Methods: Data were analyzed from Wave 2 of the International Tobacco Control (ITC) China Survey, where 4843 adult urban smokers were interviewed in six major Chinese cities between October 2007 and January 2008. The incidence of most recent cigarette acquisition due to gifting and the …

The Potential Impact Of Plain Packaging Of Cigarette Products Among Brazilian Young Women: An Experimental Study, Christine M/ White, David Hammond, Jim Thrasher, Geoffrey T. Fong

Faculty Publications

Background: Tobacco use is responsible for 5.4 million deaths every year worldwide and is a leading cause of preventable death. The burden of these deaths is rapidly shifting to low and middle-income countries, such as Brazil. Brazil has prohibited most forms of tobacco advertising; however, the cigarette pack remains a primary source of marketing. The current study examined how tobacco packaging influences brand appeal and perceptions of health risk among young women in Brazil.

Methods: A between-subjects experiment was conducted in which 640 Brazilian women aged 16–26 participated in an online survey. Participants were randomized to view 10 cigarette packages …