Measuring exposure to pro- and anti-tobacco marketing among adolescents: Intercorrelations among measures and associations with smoking status

Exposure to tobacco-related marketing has been implicated as one of the ris k factors for tobacco use among adolescents. However, tobacco-related marke ting exposure has been measured in different ways in different studies, inc luding perceived pervasiveness, receptivity, recognition, recall, and affec t. It is not known whether these measures represent one or more underlying constructs and how these underlying constructs are associated with adolesce nt smoking status. This study analyzed data from 5,870 eighth-grade student s in California, collected in 1996-1997 as part of the Independent Evaluati on of the California Tobacco Control, Prevention, and Education Program. An exploratory factor analysis of multiple measures of tobacco-related market ing exposure revealed four distinct factors : perceived pervasiveness of pr otobacco marketing, perceived pervasiveness of antitobacco marketing, recog nition of specific antitobacco advertisements, and receptivity to protobacc o marketing. Receptivity to protobacco marketing showed the strongest assoc iation with smoking status; higher levels of receptivity were associated wi th higher levels of smoking. Two measures of exposure to antitobacco market ing (perceived pervasiveness of antitobacco marketing and recognition of sp ecific antitobacco ads) were highest among established smokers and lowest a mong susceptible nonsmokers. The same pattern was evident for perceived per vasiveness of protobacco marketing. Results suggest that exposure to tobacc o-related marketing is a multidimensional construct, and each dimension may have a unique contribution to the process of smoking initiation. Because a dolescents are exposed to numerous pro- and antitobacco messages, it is imp ortant to develop antitobacco media campaigns that can successfully counter protobacco marketing efforts. Potential strategies include targeting the s usceptible nonsmokers who are at high risk for smoking and developing messa ges to decrease receptivity.