USE OF PROVOCATIVE EMOTIONAL APPEALS IN A MASS-MEDIA CAMPAIGN DESIGNED TO PREVENT SMOKING AMONG ADOLESCENTS

This paper describes short-term reactions to the first of 3 consecutiv e mass media campaigns designed to explore new approaches to prevent t he onset of smoking among adolescents. Based on provocative emotional appeals, the first campaign specifically targeted girls aged 14 and 15 years. We hypothesized that through actively provoking adolescents an d thereby creating a discussion among them, a process of interpersonal communication might influence smoking behaviour. The mass media campa ign consisted of 3 different newspaper advertisements, 1 poster and 1 TV and cinema spot. The study population consisted of all adolescents aged 14 and 15 years in 1 county in Norway. A questionnaire, measuring short-term reactions to the first campaign, was mailed to the home ad dresses of the adolescents in the intervention county only (n=5,051). The response rate was 80%. More than 60% recalled having been exposed to the campaign. The campaign, which targeted smoking girls in particu lar, obtained more attention and led to more discussion and stronger n egative emotional reactions among smoking girls than among any other g roup. Positive behavioural reactions to the campaign outnumbered negat ive behavioural reactions. 'Discussed the campaign with significant ot hers' turned out to be the strongest predictor of positive behavioural reactions both among smokers and non-smokers. Significant association s between positive affective reactions and positive behavioural reacti ons were also observed.