Adolescent smoking and volume of exposure to various forms of media

Primack, Brian A.; Land, Stephanie R.; Fine, Michael J.

doi:10.1016/j.puhe.2007.07.022

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Volume 122, Issue 4 , Pages 379-389, April 2008

Adolescent smoking and volume of exposure to various forms of media

Brian A. Primack
- Center for Research on Health Care, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 230 McKee Place Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Division of Adolescent Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Corresponding author. Center for Research on Health Care, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 230 McKee Place Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. Tel.: +14125869789; fax: +14126924838.
Stephanie R. Land
- Department of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences, University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
Michael J. Fine
- Center for Research on Health Care, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, 230 McKee Place Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Health Care System, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

Received 18 December 2006; received in revised form 13 June 2007; accepted 27 July 2007.

Summary

Objective

To assess the association between adolescent smoking and volume of exposure to various forms of media after controlling for multiple relevant covariates.

Methods

A survey of all adolescents at a large suburban high school assessed: (1) current smoking and susceptibility to future smoking; (2) volume of exposure to various media; and (3) covariates related to smoking. Multivariate logistic regression models assessed relationships between each of the independent variables (media exposures) and the two smoking outcomes after controlling for covariates.

Results

Of the 1138 respondents, 19% (n=216) reported current smoking. Forty percent (n=342) of the non-smokers (n=922) were susceptible to future smoking. Students reported exposure to an average of 8.6 (standard deviation 5.1)h of media daily, including 2.6h of music. Those with high exposure to films and music were more likely to be smokers (P_trend=0.036 and P_trend<0.001, respectively), and those with high exposure to books were less likely to be smokers (P_trend<0.001). After controlling for all relevant covariates, those with high exposure to music had greater odds of being smokers than those with low exposure [odds ratio (OR) 1.90, 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1.10–3.30], and those with high exposure to books had lower odds of being current smokers (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.33–0.94).

Conclusion

Exposure to films and music are associated with smoking, but only the relationship between music exposure and smoking persists after rigorous covariate control. Exposure to books is associated with lower odds of smoking.

Keywords: Tobacco, Smoking prevention, Adolescent health, Mass media, Television, Films, Music, School health