Jessica Foster
Effect of viewing smoking in movies on adolescent smoking
initiation: a cohort study
Dalton, Madeline A;Sargent, James D;Beach, Michael
L;Titus-Ernstoff, Linda;et al The Lancet; Jul 26, 2003; 362, 9380;
ProQuest Central p. 281Jessica Foster HLTH 350-001
SummaryStudies have shown that tobacco marketing with and
increase in smoking among adolescents. Movies, and commercial
advertisement can have an affect on the teenage population because
smoking is made attractive. Studies suggest exposure to smoking in
movies has been linked to smoking in adolescents.
Methods.When this study was conducted they did a written survey
at first.These students where 10 to 14 years of age.
They also preformed a baseline survey with 3547 students who
have never smoked. They did a follow up 13-26 months later.The
follow up consisted of computer based phone interview system to
keep things confidential. They also used a PC telecom system so
when a student keyed in answer the data was automatically
recorded.
Procedures. Some questions that were asked during follow ups
were How many cigarettes have you smoked in your life
time?Afterwards they asked students to pick movies from a list of
50, and each 50 movies where random.45% of the movies seen where
rated R31% of the movies seen where PG-1320% of the movies seen
where PG4% of the movies seen where GThey calculated exposure of
movie smoking based on every film an individual has seen.
Results. On average of the 50 movies showed students said that
they saw at least 16 of them. During the follow up period 10% (259)
of students actually smoked. Some had a few puffs, others actually
had more than 100 cigarettes. Only 5 people ( 0-2%) where not
exposed to movies that had smoking in it.
DiscussionTeenagers that attended movies with smoking are three
times more likely to start smoking.They also did the same study in
New England, which had the same links and was consistent with this
study as well.Parents even have influence on the results because
children with non-smoking parents have a higher risk when seeing
movies that advocate smokingAdolescents parents who smoke are
already at risk and the movies do not influence them as much.One of
the things they couldnt control was long term exposure because the
interviews and calls where brief.
