Pictorial Warning Labels and Memory for Cigarette Health-risk Information Over Time

Ohio State University4,424 enrolled

Overview

Pictorial cigarette warning labels (PWLs) are thought to increase risk knowledge, but experimental research has not examined PWLs' longer term effects on memory for health risks. This trial tests memory for health risks immediately or after a six-week delay for US-representative adult smokers, US-representative teen smokers/vulnerable smokers, and Appalachian-representative adult smokers. In addition, the trial tests the effects of different warning label components and the consequences of memory for labels on risk perceptions and quit intentions.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Enrollment

4,424

Conditions

Smoking Cessation Smoking, Cigarette

Interventions

Text-only PWL

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 14 YearsMax age: 65 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * 19-65 years old (adult samples) * have smoked 100+ lifetime cigarettes (adult samples) * currently smoke "every day" or "some days." (adult samples) * 14-18 years old (teen sample) * have ever smoked a cigarette (teen sample) Exclusion Criteria: • have not ever smoked a cigarette (all samples)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

graphic warning label recall

free recall for risk information presented in labels (9 text boxes, 1 for each label; coded for exact or equivalent words)

Time frame: immediately following last exposure or after 6-week delay

smoking risk recognition

Participants were subsequently shown twenty-six negative health effects and asked "Which of the following health effects were mentioned in the warnings we showed you?" and responded "Yes, I saw this health effect" or "No, I did not see this health effect." Fourteen risks were mentioned in the warnings (e.g., cancer, harms children, emphysema); six were risks of smoking not presented in the warnings (e.g., wrinkles, diabetes), and six were not risks of smoking (e.g., acne, thyroid problems).

Time frame: immediately following last exposure or after 6-week delay

Secondary Outcomes

smoking risk perceptions

participants completed several scale items about how much risk they perceived smoking posed to them (e.g., "Compared to the average nonsmoker your age, gender, and race, how would you rate your chances of": 1) "getting a life threatening illness because of smoking," 2) "getting lung cancer," and 3) "dying at a younger age than average" (-3 = Much lower, +3 = Much higher))

Time frame: immediately following last exposure or after 6-week delay

quit intentions

participants' intentions to quit smoking

Time frame: immediately following last exposure or after 6-week delay