Mass media campaigns to promote smoking cessation among adults: an integrative review

Abstract

Objective This review summarises the impact of mass media campaigns on promoting quitting among adult smokers overall and for subgroups; the influence of campaign intensity and different channels; the effects of different message types. Methods The present work updates two reviews published in 2008 by searching databases using a standard search string. Articles in languages other than English were excluded, as well as letters and editorials. Screening of abstracts yielded 194 potentially relevant articles. Abstracts were evaluated by 2 authors, excluding articles that focused on populations other than adults and according to other specified criteria, resulting in 26 studies reported in 29 articles. Studies were categorised as (a) population-based studies of campaign effects and (b) studies comparing message types, using either population-based or forced exposure methods. Findings of subgroup differences for each study were noted, as well as study strengths and limitations. Results Overall, the studies have strengthened the evidence that mass media campaigns conducted in the context of comprehensive tobacco control programmes can promote quitting and reduce adult smoking prevalence, but that campaign reach, intensity, duration and message type may influence success. Achievement of sufficient population exposure is vital, especially for lower socioeconomic status smokers, with television remaining the primary channel to effectively reach and influence adult smokers. Studies comparing different message types found negative health effects messages most effective at generating increased knowledge, beliefs, positive perceived effectiveness ratings, or quitting behaviour, while there was more mixed evidence for other message types. A few studies further suggest that negative health effects messages may also contribute to reductions in socioeconomic disparities in smoking. Conclusions Mass media campaigns to promote quitting are important investments as part of comprehensive tobacco control programmes to educate about the harms of smoking, set the agenda for discussion, change smoking attitudes and beliefs, increase quitting intentions and quit attempts, and reduce adult smoking prevalence. Jurisdictions should aim for high reach and consistent exposure over time with preference towards negative health effects messages.

Progress in implementation of WHO FCTC Article 14 and its guidelines: a survey of tobacco dependence treatment provision in 142 countries

“…Mass media campaigns in particular can potentially have wide population reach and low per‐capita cost 12. However, such campaigns require substantial funding and may not be easily affordable in middle‐ and low‐income countries.…”

The impact of TV mass media campaigns on calls to a National Quitline and the use of prescribed nicotine replacement therapy: a structural vector autoregression analysis

“…However, the ethos underpinning the Scottish TV MMCs with a smoking cessation theme was that they should be supportive, show how to quit and evoke positive emotions about quitting 42. On balance, the current evidence suggests that negative health messages warning of the health consequences of smoking and/or testimonial adverts have been shown to motivate calls to quitlines 5. Further analyses of our Scottish data will help to untangle the relationship between message type, emotional content and impact.…”

“…The mediums of television and radio, with their considerable reach into the general population, have been used most commonly to deliver health messages on tobacco control 1. There is a growing body of international evidence that MMCs can prevent both the uptake of smoking in young people and promote smoking cessation in adults 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Most recently, evidence from England has shown that TV MMCs are effective in triggering quitting behaviour in adults and were responsible for an 11.2% decline in cigarette consumption and 13.5% of the decline in prevalence between 2002 and 2009 7.…”

“…This was the case in Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom in the first decade of the 21st century, when TV MMCs were one of the central pillars of tobacco control strategies 11, 12. However, they are expensive to develop and must be broadcast with sufficient, reach, intensity and duration to promote quitting and reduce smoking prevalence, particularly in lower‐income smokers 5. This adds further to the cost of the intervention, and with continuing pressure on public health expenditure, both English and Scottish Governments reduced investment in TV MMCs.…”

“…Given the importance of reaching smokers of lower socio‐economic status 5 and the recent switch in investment from tobacco control TV MMCs to lower‐reach community‐based campaigns, it is now even more important to understand what contribution TV MMCs can make to increasing quitting behaviour in adult smokers and ultimately to reducing smoking prevalence.…”