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Completed

NCT Number: NCT03500965

Pictorial Warning Labels and Memory for Relative and Absolute Cigarette Health-risk Information Over Time in Teens

Pictorial cigarette warning labels (PWLs) are thought to increase risk knowledge, but experimental research has not examined PWLs' longer term effects on memory for health risks. In this study, teens who have experimented with smoking or are considered vulnerable to smoking are repeatedly exposed to text-only vs. graphic warning labels paired with numeric risk information. This study will allow us to assess the extent to which reactions to warnings remain consistent over time and influence future smoking intentions. We will also assess the impact of graphic images on memory for smoking risk information presented in absolute and (a smokers lifetime risk of getting a smoking related disease), or relative (a smokers risk of getting a smoking related disease, compared to the risk of non-smokers) formats.

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Key information

Conditions

Smoking Cessation Behavior Cigarette Smoking Health Behavior Smoking Smoking, Cigarette Tobacco Smoking Tobacco Use

Age range

14 year–18 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • have ever tried smoking
  • report vulnerability to smoking (i.e., report that they might smoke in the next year or would try a cigarette if a friend offered one)
  • parents give permission to participate

Exclusion criteria

  • not vulnerable to smoking (i.e., report they will definitely not smoke a cigarette in the next year and definitely would not try a cigarette if one was offered
  • parents do not provide permission to participate

Treatment and study plan

text-only PWL

Behavioral

control condition (no image)

graphic PWL

Behavioral

pictorial warning

absolute risk

Behavioral

Percentage risk information for smoking-related diseases for smokers

relative risk

Behavioral

Percentage risk information for smoking-related diseases for smokers and non-smokers

Primary outcomes

  1. numeric risk recognition

    Time frame: measured immediately following last exposure

    Participants answered one multiple choice question about the numeric risk for smokers for each label (e.g., ____% of smokers die before age 85). For each question, there were four decoy responses.

Secondary outcomes

  1. numeric risk recognition

    Time frame: measured after 6-week delay

    Participants answered one multiple choice question about the numeric risk for smokers for each label (e.g., ____% of smokers die before age 85). For each question, there were four decoy responses.

  2. relative risk recognition

    Time frame: measured immediately following last exposure

    Participants answered one multiple choice question about the numeric risk for smokers vs. nonsmokers for each health risk (e.g., a smoker is ____ as likely to die from heart disease as a nonsmoker). For each question, there were three decoy responses (e.g., for heart disease, response options were: "about as likely," "1.75 times," "4.1 times," "10.4 times").

  3. relative risk recognition

    Time frame: measured after 6-week delay

    Participants answered one multiple choice question about the numeric risk for smokers vs. nonsmokers for each health risk (e.g., a smoker is ____ as likely to die from heart disease as a nonsmoker). For each question, there were three decoy responses (e.g., for heart disease, response options were: "about as likely," "1.75 times," "4.1 times," "10.4 times").

  4. smoking risk perceptions

    Time frame: measured immediately following last exposure

    Participants completed several scale items about how much risk they perceived smoking posed to them (e.g., "If a person smokes at your age, how likely are they to get a life-threatening illness from smoking someday ?" [1=very unlikely; 5=extremely likely])

  5. smoking risk perceptions

    Time frame: measured after 6-week delay

    Participants completed several scale items about how much risk they perceived smoking posed to them (e.g., "If a person smokes at your age, how likely are they to get a life-threatening illness from smoking someday ?" [1=very unlikely; 5=extremely likely])

  6. quit intentions (for next 30 days)

    Time frame: measured immediately following last exposure

    Participants intentions to quit smoking; self-reported likelihood of smoking "within the next 30 days" (-3 = very unlikely, 3 = very likely)

    (only for those teens who currently smoked)

  7. quit intentions (for next 30 days)

    Time frame: measured after 6-week delay

    Participants intentions to quit smoking; self-reported likelihood of smoking "within the next 30 days" (-3 = very unlikely, 3 = very likely)

    (only for those teens who currently smoked)

  8. quit intentions (for next year)

    Time frame: measured immediately following last exposure

    Participants intentions to quit smoking; self-reported likelihood of smoking "within the next year" (-3 = very unlikely, 3 = very likely)

    only for those teens who currently smoked

  9. quit intentions (for next year)

    Time frame: measured after 6-week delay

    Participants intentions to quit smoking; self-reported likelihood of smoking "within the next year" (-3 = very unlikely, 3 = very likely)

    only for those teens who currently smoked

  10. risk recognition

    Time frame: measured immediately following last exposure

    Participants were given a list of 9 warnings and asked to select which ones they'd been previously exposed to

  11. risk recognition

    Time frame: measured after 6-week delay

    Participants were given a list of 9 warnings and asked to select which ones they'd been previously exposed to

  12. feelings about smoking

    Time frame: measured immediately following last exposure

    Participants completed several scale items about their feelings towards smoking (e.g., "How good or bad do you feel about smoking?" -2=very bad; +2=very good; "How much do you feel confused about the harms vs. benefits of smoking?" 0=not at all confused; 4=very confused)

  13. feelings about smoking

    Time frame: measured after 6-week delay

    Participants completed several scale items about their feelings towards smoking (e.g., "How good or bad do you feel about smoking?" -2=very bad; +2=very good; "How much do you feel confused about the harms vs. benefits of smoking?" 0=not at all confused; 4=very confused)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Ohio State University

Other

Collaborators

  • University of Pennsylvania

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2016
Primary completion
2018
Study completion
2018
First posted
Apr 18, 2018
Registry last updated
Apr 18, 2018

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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