Socioeconomic variation in recall and perceived effectiveness of campaign advertisements to promote smoking cessation

There are large disparities in cigarette smoking rates by socioeconomic status (SES) in many countries. There is mixed evidence about the relative effectiveness of smoking cessation media campaigns in promoting quitting between lower and higher SES populations, and studies suggest that some types of ad content may have differential effects by SES. We analyzed data from five waves of the New York Media Tracking Survey Online (MTSO), a web survey involving over 7000 adult smokers conducted between 2007 and 2009, to assess SES variation in response to smoking cessation ads. Smokers with low levels of education and income less often recalled ads focused on how to quit, and perceived them as less effective, than ads using graphic imagery or personal testimonials to convey why to quit. Contrary to predictions offered by the Stages of Change Model, we found no evidence that variation in readiness to quit smoking explained patterns of response by education. Results offer guidance for theorists and campaign planners in developing campaigns that are likely to promote cessation among less educated populations.

Research highlights
► This study finds that socioeconomic status moderates the relationship between smoking cessation ad themes and measures of their effectiveness in the USA.
► Smokers with low levels of formal education less often recalled ads that focused on how to quit than ads that focused on why to quit.
► Smokers with low levels of formal education perceived ads that focused on how to quit as less effective than ads that focused on why to quit.
► Stages of Change Theory does not provide a compelling explanation for observed socioeconomic differences in response to smoking cessation ads.