TY - JOUR
T1 - Perceptions of novel warnings compared with current warning on tobacco packs, and warnings on cigarette sticks
T2 - A cross-sectional survey of college students in Southern India
AU - Mullapudi, Somya
AU - Kulkarni, Muralidhar M.
AU - Kamath, Veena G.
AU - Britton, John
AU - Moodie, Crawford
AU - Kamath, Asha
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE, India) and the Medical Research Council (Grant number: MR/ P027946/2) with funding from the Global Challenges Research Fund, UK. The Tobacco Control Capacity Program is a program of capacity development and research coordinated by the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and involves 15 partner institutions from Africa, South Asia and the United Kingdom.
Funding Information:
The authors thank the research assistants for their help in the data collection. This work was supported by Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE, India) and the Medical Research Council (Grant number: MR/ P027946/2) with funding from the Global Challenges Research Fund, UK. The Tobacco Control Capacity Program is a program of capacity development and research coordinated by the University of Edinburgh, Scotland and involves 15 partner institutions from Africa, South Asia and the United Kingdom.
Publisher Copyright:
Published by European Publishing. © 2023 Mullapudi S. et al.
PY - 2023/4
Y1 - 2023/4
N2 - INTRODUCTION In India there is insufficient knowledge of the risks associated with tobacco use. Increasing awareness of these risks is critical, with pictorial warnings on tobacco packs a cost-effective way to communicate this information. We explored perceptions of the current warning, ‘Tobacco causes cancer’, displayed on packs in India and four novel warnings about other potential impacts of tobacco use including social, financial, and environmental, but also complications with diabetes. As loose cigarette sales are common in India, we also explored perceptions of warnings on cigarette sticks. METHODS A cross-sectional survey of college students aged ≥18 years in Karnataka, India, was conducted between January 2019 and February 2020. Participants were asked about salience, believability, and cognitive processing of warnings currently on packs. They were then shown an image of one current and four novel warnings and asked about their perceived effectiveness in preventing uptake and reducing and stopping tobacco use. They were then asked about warnings on cigarette sticks. RESULTS Most participants (70.2%) recalled warnings on packs and considered them believable (55.7%), but only 12.0% read and 12.4% thought about them often. Warnings about the health impacts of tobacco use were viewed as most effective in preventing uptake, and reducing and stopping tobacco use. Nevertheless, at least a third of participants rated warnings pertaining to financial, social, and environmental impacts effective in preventing uptake, and reducing and stopping tobacco use. Approximately one-fifth (22.0%) thought that warnings on cigarette sticks would deter initiation. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that health warnings are perceived as most effective in discouraging tobacco use among college students in Karnataka. While viewed as less effective than health warnings, novel non-health related messages were viewed as effective in preventing uptake, and reducing and stopping tobacco use by at least one in three participants. Warnings on cigarette sticks may help complement warnings on cigarette packs.
AB - INTRODUCTION In India there is insufficient knowledge of the risks associated with tobacco use. Increasing awareness of these risks is critical, with pictorial warnings on tobacco packs a cost-effective way to communicate this information. We explored perceptions of the current warning, ‘Tobacco causes cancer’, displayed on packs in India and four novel warnings about other potential impacts of tobacco use including social, financial, and environmental, but also complications with diabetes. As loose cigarette sales are common in India, we also explored perceptions of warnings on cigarette sticks. METHODS A cross-sectional survey of college students aged ≥18 years in Karnataka, India, was conducted between January 2019 and February 2020. Participants were asked about salience, believability, and cognitive processing of warnings currently on packs. They were then shown an image of one current and four novel warnings and asked about their perceived effectiveness in preventing uptake and reducing and stopping tobacco use. They were then asked about warnings on cigarette sticks. RESULTS Most participants (70.2%) recalled warnings on packs and considered them believable (55.7%), but only 12.0% read and 12.4% thought about them often. Warnings about the health impacts of tobacco use were viewed as most effective in preventing uptake, and reducing and stopping tobacco use. Nevertheless, at least a third of participants rated warnings pertaining to financial, social, and environmental impacts effective in preventing uptake, and reducing and stopping tobacco use. Approximately one-fifth (22.0%) thought that warnings on cigarette sticks would deter initiation. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that health warnings are perceived as most effective in discouraging tobacco use among college students in Karnataka. While viewed as less effective than health warnings, novel non-health related messages were viewed as effective in preventing uptake, and reducing and stopping tobacco use by at least one in three participants. Warnings on cigarette sticks may help complement warnings on cigarette packs.
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U2 - 10.18332/tid/160082
DO - 10.18332/tid/160082
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85160533315
SN - 1617-9625
VL - 21
JO - Tobacco Induced Diseases
JF - Tobacco Induced Diseases
M1 - 50
ER -