ArticleDrug and alcohol dependence2020
Do tobacco industry websites target content to specific demographic groups?
Article in Drug and alcohol dependence, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Exposure to pro-tobacco and anti-tobacco media messages and events and smoking behaviour among adolescents in Gambia.BMC public health · 2024Article
- Tailored Cigarette Warning Messages: How Individualized Loss Aversion and Delay Discounting Rates Can Influence Perceived Message Effectiveness.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPrior research has not examined whether tobacco brand websites vary content based on audience demographics. This study explored whether marketing content on tobacco brand websites varied by user ethnicity, gender or age group.
methodsParticipants (n = 32) were adult smokers, representing equal numbers of eight demographic groups: user ethnicity (Non-Hispanic White, Hispanic, African American, Asian), gender (women, men) and age (age 21-35, age 36+). This study examined 12 tobacco brand websites representing four tobacco product categories (cigarettes, cigar/cigarillos, smokeless tobacco, and e-cigarettes). From January 2016 to January 2017, participants coded websites for themes, interactive activities, and links to social media sites (n = 874 website visits). Logistic regression was used to analyze observed content by participant ethnicity, age and gender.
resultsAll themes, all interactive activities and all links to social media were observed at least once for each demographic category. Male participants were more likely to observe Harm reduction themes, while female participants were more likely to observe Promotion themes. Older participants were more likely to observe website features allowing them to select music, and request coupons. Compared to Non-Hispanic White participants, African American participants were more likely to observe links to social media sites.
conclusionTobacco brand website content varied across ethnic, age and gender groups. These findings suggest that other factors, such as tobacco use behaviors, may influence marketing strategies participants recall or find appealing. The findings from this study can inform future regulatory activities and communication strategies aimed at countering pro-tobacco content online.
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Registered trials
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