Movie smoking exposure and smoking onset: A longitudinal study of mediation processes in a representative sample of U.S. adolescents.

Abstract

The authors tested 2 mechanisms for the relation of movie smoking exposure with onset of cigarette smoking in adolescence. Longitudinal data with 8-month follow-up were obtained from a representative sample of 6,522 U.S. adolescents, ages 10-14 years. Structural modeling analysis based on initial nonsmokers, which controlled for 10 covariates associated with movie exposure, showed that viewing more smoking in movies was related to increases in positive expectancies about smoking and increases in affiliation with smoking peers, and these variables were both related to smoking onset. A direct effect of movie exposure on smoking onset was also noted. Mediation findings were replicated across cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Tests for gender differences indicated that girls showed larger effects of movie exposure for some variables. Implications for policy and prevention research are discussed. Keywordssmoking; adolescents; movies; expectancies; peers It is known that there is an effect of movie exposure to smoking cues on smoking uptake by younger adolescents; that is, youth who view more occurrences of cigarette smoking in movies are more likely to smoke. An effect of movie exposure on adolescent smoking has been shown in cross-sectional research with several populations (Hanewinkel & Sargent, 2007;, and longitudinal studies have demonstrated that movie exposure precedes initiation of smoking Distefan, Pierce, & Gilpin, 2004;Jackson, Brown, & L'Engle, 2007). This topic is of public health significance because a substantial proportion of early initiators go on to become dependent smokers who have great difficulty in quitting (e.g., Correspondence Anthony, Warner, & Kessler, 1994;Breslau, Fenn, & Peterson, 1993). In view of the extensive exposure to smoking in movies (Sargent, Tanski, & Gibson, 2007) and the susceptibility of younger adolescents to media influences (Shadel, Niaura, & Abrams, 2002), it is important to understand how movies influence smoking during early adolescence.An effect of movie exposure on adolescent smoking has been demonstrated with control for important covariates, variables that are correlated with movie exposure and also are related to adolescent smoking Sargent et al., 2001). So, the basic effect is not readily attributable to confounding of movie exposure with these factors. However, theoretical questions about how this effect occurs need to be addressed. A question of particular interest to addiction research is whether environmental exposures operate through a direct effect, not involving any other processes, or whether they set in motion intermediate processes that are involved in smoking onset, that is, a mediated effect (MacKinnon, 2006;MacKinnon, Taborga, & Morgan-Lopez, 2002). On the basis of work suggesting that distal exposures may operate through indirect effects (Wills et al., 2001;Wills, Pierce, & Evans, 1996), we have proposed that movie exposure will have indirect effects on adolescent smoking. In the following sections, we discuss the theoretical ratio...

Smoking motives in movies are important for understanding adolescent smoking: A preliminary investigation

“…Although psychosocial mechanisms that mediate this association have been explored Wills et al, 2007Wills et al, , 2008, research has not yet examined whether the way that smoking is portrayed in movies affects its influence on adolescent smoking. Portrayals of smoking to relax, appear rebellious, and facilitate social interactions are common in movies , and adolescents who believe that smoking will help serve such motives are more generally at greater risk of smoking (Johnson et al, 2003;Wills et al, 1999Wills et al, , 2007.…”

The effects of risk-glorifying media exposure on risk-positive cognitions, emotions, and behaviors: A meta-analytic review.

“…Similar longitudinal effects were found for smoking. In a sample of 2,614 children in Grades 5-8, Wills, Sargent, Stoolmiller, Gibbons, and Gerrard (2008) found that exposure to smoking in movies predicted smoking behavior and inclinations 18 months later (see also TitusErnstoff, Dalton, Adachi-Meija, Longacre, & Beach, 2008). Other longitudinal studies have found similar effects for exposure to sex on television and initiation of risky sexual behavior (Collins, Elliott, Berry, Kanouse, Kunkel, Hunter, & Miu, 2004) and for early exposure to alcohol marketing and underage drinking (Collins, Ellickson, McCaffrey, & Hambarsoomians, 2007; see also Ellickson et al, 2005).…”

Parental R-Rated Movie Restriction and Early-Onset Alcohol Use

“…Regarding covariates, peer drinking was measured only at follow-up; however, that should result in an overestimation of its effect, because peer substance use is a proximal risk factor and can even be viewed as a mediating variable (Dal Cin et al, 2009;Wills et al, 2007Wills et al, , 2008. We also did not assess parental alcohol use or home alcohol access.…”