CDC Global Tobacco-Antismoking Messages and Intention to Quit

Antismoking Messages and Intention to Quit — 17 Countries, 2008–2011

To assess whether awareness of antismoking information was significantly associated with a current cigarette smoker’s intention to quit, CDC analyzed data from 17 countries that participated in the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), an ongoing, nationally representative household survey of non-institutionalized adults aged ≥15 years. The study, "Anti-Smoking Messages and Intention to Quit—17 Countries, 2008– 2011,” contain data from the following 17 countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay and Viet Nam.

Awareness of antismoking messages in one or more of four media channels (television, radio, billboards, and newspapers/magazines) significantly increased the odds that current smokers intend to quit in 14 of 17 countries surveyed. Awareness of antismoking messages in only one of these media channels significantly increased the odds that current smokers intend to quit in nine of the 17 countries. In the study, current smokers intending to quit include 1) persons who are planning to quit in the next month, and 2) persons who are thinking about quitting in the next 12 months. Antismoking mass media campaigns can help reduce the prevalence of smoking by encouraging current smokers to quit and discouraging young persons from starting.

The online version of the MMWR is available at http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/.

URLs: Copy of MMWR article, CDC Media Advisory

Contact: CDC/Office on Smoking and Health, 770-488-5493