Print antismoking advertising in China and short-term effects on adolescents

Adolescent tobacco prevention is a primary health task in China, the world's largest tobacco producer and consumer. Antismoking ads in the United States have proven to be effective in changing adolescents' attitudes toward smoking and their behavioral intentions about smoking, yet little is known about antismoking ad effectiveness in China. This dissertation analyzes themes and cultural values within existing and adolescent-created antismoking print advertising in China, and investigates the short-term effects of antismoking ads on smoking intentions by applying the Protection Motivation Theory.;Study One identifies seven themes (e.g., cessation, health risks, secondhand smoke consequences, youth prevention, social disapproval risk, addiction, and industry marketing) among thirty-three posters, and suggests a nonrandom relationship between the themes and the cultural values. Ads with the theme of "health risks" reflect individualistic values, while ads of "secondhand smoke consequences" predominantly convey collectivistic values. Study Two analyzes 70 antismoking ads produced by seventh graders in China. "Smoke-free policy and enforcement" and "fire risk" are two themes uniquely identified in these ads. Finally, Study Three tests the short-term effects of antismoking ads on Chinese adolescents' smoking-related attitudes and intentions. Results show that viewers of these antismoking messages do not generate stronger antismoking attitudes or intentions because these ads fail to solicit the cognitive perceptions depicted in the Protection Motivation Theory, namely, perceived severity of smoking-related risks, vulnerability to the risks, response efficacy and self-efficacy of being nonsmoking. Besides, though viewing ads with specific themes, subjects have equally strong negative attitudes toward various risks. In terms of cultural persuasion expectations, neither congruency nor incongruency effects on processing the antismoking messages are found between the individualistic/collectivistic values conveyed in advertising and idiocentric/allocentric self-construals among subjects.;This is the first known study to examine the themes employed and cultural values reflected in antismoking ads in China and to investigate the short-term effects of antismoking ads on Chinese adolescents. It also helps verify the cultural transferability of the Protection Motivation Theory in antismoking messages in a Chinese setting.