What types of tobacco control public service advertisements work for Chinese adolescents? A mixed-methods study

TL;DR

This study explores which types of anti-smoking ads are most effective for Chinese adolescents, finding that testimonials and disease-focused messages work best.

Contribution

The study provides empirical evidence on effective PSA characteristics for Chinese adolescents using mixed methods.

Findings

PSAs with testimonials and disease frameworks are most effective in preventing smoking intentions.

Humor and appearance damage content are ineffective in anti-smoking ads for adolescents.

Regional differences exist in PSA acceptance, with Kunming adolescents showing higher acceptance than Beijing adolescents.

Abstract

Adolescent tobacco use has become a serious global public health problem, and effective tobacco control public service advertisements (PSAs) are crucial for reducing adolescent smoking rates. The study aims to employ a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative surveys and qualitative focus groups to evaluate the effectiveness of different types of tobacco control PSAs among Chinese adolescents, identify effective advertising characteristics and content elements, and provide empirical evidence for optimizing youth tobacco control communication strategies.

A total of 125 students aged 10–18 years were recruited from six primary and secondary schools in Beijing and Kunming from November 2020 to April 2021. Participants completed Likert-scale ratings measuring advertisement effectiveness after viewing eight tobacco control PSAs and participated in focus group interviews. Quantitative data were analyzed using independent samples t-tests, Spearman correlation analysis, and multivariable logistic regression analysis, while qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis. All statistical tests were two-tailed with significance set at p<0.05.

Quantitative analysis revealed that PSAs employing ‘testimonials’ and ‘disease’ frameworks were most strongly associated with prevention intentions, while those using ‘celebrity endorsement’, ‘humor’ and ‘appearance damage’ frameworks showed the weakest associations. Kunming adolescents showed significantly higher advertisement acceptance scores than Beijing adolescents (mean difference=0.21; 95% CI: 0.04–0.38, p<0.05). The 10-item effectiveness scale demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α=0.82). Qualitative analysis identified effective characteristics including presentation of specific health hazards, use of testimonials, and fear appeals; ineffective characteristics included non-specific harm presentation, use of humorous elements, and appearance damage content.

Tobacco control PSA design should consider strategies combining disease warnings with real-life testimonials, avoid humorous advertisements and industry-sponsored messaging, and consider regional cultural differences. Distribution through online and social media platforms frequently used by adolescents may enhance reach. Future longitudinal research with broader geographical sampling is needed to confirm these findings.