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Smokers’ Attitude and Intention to Quit after Seeing a Movie with Smoking

Published Online:October 17, 2012https://doi.org/10.1024/0939-5911.a000206

Abstract

Aims: To assess the association between seeing smoking in a movie and adolescent and adult smokers’ attitude towards smoking and intention to quit. Methods: A natural experiment was conducted in a multiplex cinema. We conducted exit interviews with 4,073 movie patrons, of whom 645 (16 %) were smokers. Eleven per cent (n = 69) of the smokers were aged 14 to 17 years old. Subjects had exited 26 movies, of which 12 (46 %) contained smoking. We used multilevel mixed-effects linear regression to assess the effects of (a) exposure to movie smoking (yes vs. no), and (b) age (adolescent vs. adult smokers) on general attitude towards smoking and intention to quit smoking within the next 6 months (both scales ranged 0 – 10). Results: Smokers who saw a movie with smoking had more favourable attitudes towards smoking than those seeing a movie without smoking (p = 0.004). A significant interaction between age group and movie smoking indicated that this difference was more pronounced in adolescent smokers (p = 0.035). No significant differences were found for intentions to quit smoking. Conclusions: Study results suggest that smoking in the movies may influence young smokers to have a more favorable attitude towards smoking.


Einstellung und Rauchstoppmotivation bei Rauchern nach dem Sehen eines Filmes mit Rauchszenen

Fragestellung: Untersuchung der Assoziation des Rauchens in Kinofilmen mit generellen Einstellungen zum Rauchen und Rauchstoppmotivation jugendlicher und erwachsener Raucher. Methode: Ein natürliches Experiment wurde in einem Multiplexkino, durchgeführt. 4 073 Kinobesucher, darunter 645 (16 %) Raucher, wurden im Anschluss an ihren Kinobesuch befragt. 11 Prozent (n = 69) der Raucher war zwischen 14 und 17 Jahren alt. Die Untersuchungspersonen hatten 26 verschiedene Kinofilme gesehen, darunter 12 (46 %), in denen geraucht wurde. Lineare Mehrebenenregressionen wurden berechnet um die Effekte (a) der Exposition mit Tabakrauchszenen in Filmen (ja vs. nein) und (b) dem Alter (jugendliche vs. erwachsene Raucher) auf generelle Einstellungen zum Rauchen sowie die Intention, das Rauchen innerhalb der nächsten sechs Monate aufzugeben (Skalenrange jeweils 0 – 10) zu untersuchen. Ergebnisse: Raucher, die einen Film mit Rauchszenen gesehen hatten, hatten eine positivere Einstellung dem Rauchen gegenüber als Raucher, die einen Film ohne Rauchszenen gesehen hatten (p = 0.004). Eine signifikante Interaktion zwischen der Altersgruppe und der Exposition mit Rauchszenen in Filmen verdeutlicht, dass dieser Effekt besonders ausgeprägt bei jugendlichen Rauchern auftritt (p = 0.035). Signifikante Effekte in Bezug auf die Intention, das Rauchen aufzugeben, wurden nicht gefunden. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Ergebnisse dieser Untersuchung legen den Schluss nahe, dass das Rauchen in Filmen die generellen Einstellungen jugendlicher Raucher zum Rauchen in einer unerwünschten Richtung beeinflussen kann.

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