MedPath

Pictorial Warning Labels and Memory for Cigarette Health-risk Information Over Time

Phase 3
Completed
Conditions
Smoking Cessation
Smoking, Cigarette
Interventions
Behavioral: Text-only PWL
Behavioral: Low-emot PWL
Behavioral: High-emot PWL
Behavioral: Immediate posttest
Behavioral: delay posttest
Registration Number
NCT03375840
Lead Sponsor
Ohio State University
Brief Summary

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. This trial tests memory for health risks immediately or after a six-week delay for US-representative adult smokers, US-representative teen smokers/vulnerable smokers, and Appalachian-representative adult smokers. In addition, the trial tests the effects of different warning label components and the consequences of memory for labels on risk perceptions and quit intentions.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
4424
Inclusion Criteria
  • 19-65 years old (adult samples)
  • have smoked 100+ lifetime cigarettes (adult samples)
  • currently smoke "every day" or "some days." (adult samples)
  • 14-18 years old (teen sample)
  • have ever smoked a cigarette (teen sample)
Exclusion Criteria

• have not ever smoked a cigarette (all samples)

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
FACTORIAL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Text-only PWL, immediate postText-only PWLExposure to 9 FDA-mandated warning labels Posttest measures (e.g., memory, risk perceptions, quit intentions) administered immediately following last exposure to warning labels
Low-emot PWL, immediate posttestImmediate posttestExposure to 9 warning labels paired with image that elicited little emotion Posttest measures (e.g., memory, risk perceptions, quit intentions) administered immediately following last exposure to warning labels
Low-emot PWL, delay posttestdelay posttestExposure to 9 warning labels paired with image that elicited little emotion Posttest measures (e.g., memory, risk perceptions, quit intentions) administered 6 weeks after last exposure to warning labels
High-emot PWL, immediate posttestImmediate posttestExposure to 9 warning labels paired with image that elicited high emotion Posttest measures (e.g., memory, risk perceptions, quit intentions) administered immediately following last exposure to warning labels
Text-only PWL, delay posttestdelay posttestExposure to 9 FDA-mandated warning labels Posttest measures (e.g., memory, risk perceptions, quit intentions) administered 6 weeks after last exposure to warning labels
Text-only PWL, delay posttestText-only PWLExposure to 9 FDA-mandated warning labels Posttest measures (e.g., memory, risk perceptions, quit intentions) administered 6 weeks after last exposure to warning labels
Low-emot PWL, immediate posttestLow-emot PWLExposure to 9 warning labels paired with image that elicited little emotion Posttest measures (e.g., memory, risk perceptions, quit intentions) administered immediately following last exposure to warning labels
Low-emot PWL, delay posttestLow-emot PWLExposure to 9 warning labels paired with image that elicited little emotion Posttest measures (e.g., memory, risk perceptions, quit intentions) administered 6 weeks after last exposure to warning labels
High-emot PWL, delay posttestHigh-emot PWLExposure to 9 warning labels paired with image that elicited high emotion Posttest measures (e.g., memory, risk perceptions, quit intentions) administered 6 weeks after last exposure to warning labels
Text-only PWL, immediate postImmediate posttestExposure to 9 FDA-mandated warning labels Posttest measures (e.g., memory, risk perceptions, quit intentions) administered immediately following last exposure to warning labels
High-emot PWL, immediate posttestHigh-emot PWLExposure to 9 warning labels paired with image that elicited high emotion Posttest measures (e.g., memory, risk perceptions, quit intentions) administered immediately following last exposure to warning labels
High-emot PWL, delay posttestdelay posttestExposure to 9 warning labels paired with image that elicited high emotion Posttest measures (e.g., memory, risk perceptions, quit intentions) administered 6 weeks after last exposure to warning labels
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
graphic warning label recallimmediately following last exposure or after 6-week delay

free recall for risk information presented in labels (9 text boxes, 1 for each label; coded for exact or equivalent words)

smoking risk recognitionimmediately following last exposure or after 6-week delay

Participants were subsequently shown twenty-six negative health effects and asked "Which of the following health effects were mentioned in the warnings we showed you?" and responded "Yes, I saw this health effect" or "No, I did not see this health effect." Fourteen risks were mentioned in the warnings (e.g., cancer, harms children, emphysema); six were risks of smoking not presented in the warnings (e.g., wrinkles, diabetes), and six were not risks of smoking (e.g., acne, thyroid problems).

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
smoking risk perceptionsimmediately following last exposure or after 6-week delay

participants completed several scale items about how much risk they perceived smoking posed to them (e.g., "Compared to the average nonsmoker your age, gender, and race, how would you rate your chances of": 1) "getting a life threatening illness because of smoking," 2) "getting lung cancer," and 3) "dying at a younger age than average" (-3 = Much lower, +3 = Much higher))

quit intentionsimmediately following last exposure or after 6-week delay

participants' intentions to quit smoking

© Copyright 2025. All Rights Reserved by MedPath