Investigation of processing routes of pictorial health warnings message processing on cigarette pack by smoker adolescents in the Tabriz city based on Elaboration Likelihood Model

Abstract

Objective: Nowadays smoking is one of the most challenging health problems, especially in the youth groups. Therefore, it is very important to provide effective communication strategies to change the attitude of young people to prevent and reduce smoking among them. The health warning messages are one of the effective methods to change the attitude of people towards smoking. Thus, using the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM), this study aims to investigate the processing rout of health warning messages on cigarette packs in young smokers. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 387 smokers (age range: 18-30 years) in Tabriz, Iran in 2019. Data was collected by a self-administered questionnaire using convenient and snowball sampling methods. The health warning messages printed on cigarette packs were given to the interviewees before filling the questionnaires. The collected data was analyzed using SPSS V.23 and MPlus V 6.2. Results: Our findings showed that 61% (236 individuals) of the sample processed the health warning messages via the central route. Out of 387 respondents, 58.4% and 62.5% had a high motivation and ability to process the messages, respectively. The conceptual model indicated that intensity of risk perception, smoking cessation self-efficacy, and mental dependence in male smokers, and intensity of risk perception and smoking cessation self-efficacy in female smokers were predictors of the message processing through the central route (P <0.05). Conclusion: Since the majority of individuals processed the health warning messages related to smoking through the central route, it is necessary to consider the validity of the source of the message provider, the individuals’ awareness of the consequences of smoking, and repetition of the message in designing the messages in order to change people's attitude towards smoking. The health officials should pay special attention to demographic characteristics of smokers in designing health warning messages related to smoking to increase their effectiveness