Effects of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign on Youths

• Published in: American journal of public health (1971) 2008-12, Vol.98 (12), p.2229-2236
• Main Authors: Hornik, Robert, Jacobsohn, Lela, Orwin, Robert, Piesse, Andrea, Kalton, Graham
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior; Advertising; Advertising agencies; Advertising as Topic - methods; Attitude to Health; Behavior; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; Data collection; Drug prevention; Drug use; Early intervention; Health Behavior; Health Education - organization & administration; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Health Promotion - organization & administration; Households; Humans; Intention; Interviews; Longitudinal Studies; Marijuana; Marijuana Smoking - adverse effects; Marijuana Smoking - epidemiology; Marijuana Smoking - prevention & control; Mass Media; Medical sciences; Miscellaneous; Outdoor advertising; Outreach services; Peer Group; Professional advertising; Program Evaluation; Psychology, Adolescent; Public health; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Public relations; Research and Practice; Response rates; Self Efficacy; Surveys and Questionnaires; United States - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0090-0036; 1541-0048
• DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2007.125849

We examined the cognitive and behavioral effects of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign on youths aged 12.5 to 18 years and report core evaluation results. From September 1999 to June 2004, 3 nationally representative cohorts of US youths aged 9 to 18 years were surveyed at home 4 times. Sample size ranged from 8117 in the first to 5126 in the fourth round (65% first-round response rate, with 86%-93% of still eligible youths interviewed subsequently). Main outcomes were self-reported lifetime, past-year, and past-30-day marijuana use and related cognitions. Most analyses showed no effects from the campaign. At one round, however, more ad exposure predicted less intention to avoid marijuana use (gamma = -0.07; 95% confidence interval [CI] = -0.13, -0.01) and weaker antidrug social norms (gamma = -0.05; 95% CI = -0.08, -0.02) at the subsequent round. Exposure at round 3 predicted marijuana initiation at round 4 (gamma = 0.11; 95% CI = 0.00, 0.22). Through June 2004, the campaign is unlikely to have had favorable effects on youths and may have had delayed unfavorable effects. The evaluation challenges the usefulness of the campaign.