Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37215192›Full record

ArticleTobacco induced diseases2023

The problematic use of cultural symbols on Chinese cigarette packs.

Emily Xing, Zheng Dai, Alena Madar, Kevin Welding, Katherine Clegg Smith, Joanna E Cohen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Tobacco induced diseases, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Emily XingInstitute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States.
Zheng DaiInstitute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States.
Alena MadarInstitute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States.
Kevin WeldingInstitute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States.
Katherine Clegg SmithInstitute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States.
Joanna E CohenInstitute for Global Tobacco Control, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, United States.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionChina is the world's largest tobacco-consuming nation. With minimal packaging regulations, the Chinese tobacco industry can use many appeals to promote their products, including calling upon traditions and culture to make positive connections between consumers and harmful products. We analyzed the nature and extent of cultural appeals on Chinese cigarette packs.

methodsA total of 610 unique cigarette packs were collected in 2017 from five major Chinese cities (Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Kunming, and Chengdu) following a systematic protocol. Two trained independent coders knowledgeable about Chinese culture and language coded the packs in accordance with a specially developed codebook encompassing important Chinese cultural symbols. The prevalence of identified elements was determined and interpreted.

resultsOverall, 60.7% (n=370) of the analyzed Chinese cigarette packs in our sample contained at least one culturally specific appeal. The most common cultural appeals included written arts (n=131; 21.5%), celebratory red as the primary pack color (n=119; 19.5%), visual arts (n=70; 11.4%), and special occasions (n=60; 9.9%). There was a diverse range of cultural appeals present on the packs.

conclusionsCultural appeals are common on Chinese tobacco packaging, with over 60% of all analyzed packs containing at least one culturally specific element. With China's packaging policies requiring health warning labels to occupy only 35% of the pack, the tobacco industry is allowed plenty of package space to incorporate cultural elements among other appeals. A plain and standardized packaging policy would eliminate the ability for Chinese tobacco companies to use cultural appeals on their cigarette packs.

Indexed as

Chinacigarettesmarketingpolicysmoking

Identifiers

PMID37215192
PMCPMC10193528

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.