Randomized Trial Evaluating Targeted Photographic Health Communication Messages in Three Stigmatized Populations: Physically-Disabled, Senior, and Overweight/Obese Individuals.

The homophily principle that perceived similarities among people produce positive reactions is a cross-cultural, global phenomenon. The prediction that photographs depicting models similar to the target population improve health communication was tested. Three nationally-representative samples (n = 1,796) of adults who are disabled, seniors, or considered overweight/obese were selected from GfK's Knowledge Panel®.

Perceived availability of culturally and demographically diverse photographs for health education materials, Colorado, 2010.

An online survey was conducted with health educators in Colorado to ascertain their needs and ability to access relevant stock art photographs for their print and electronic educational media. Health educators were dissatisfied with the cultural and demographic diversity of photographs available from their own sources or from commercial stock art websites. There was a perceived need for more photographs that would better represent their target populations.

Effect of nicotine replacement therapy on quitting by young adults in a trial comparing cessation services.

Context: Young adult smokers have the highest smoking prevalence among all US age groups but are least likely to use evidence-based cessation counseling or medication to quit.

Objective: Use and effectiveness of nicotine patch were explored in a randomized trial evaluating smoking cessation interventions with this population.

Participants: Smokers aged 18 to 30 (n = 3094) were recruited through online and off-line methods and from telephone quit lines and analyzed.

Randomized trial of a smartphone mobile application compared to text messaging to support smoking cessation.

Background: Text messaging has successfully supported smoking cessation. This study compares a mobile application with text messaging to support smoking cessation.

Materials And Methods: Young adult smokers 18-30 years old (n = 102) participated in a randomized pretest-posttest trial.

Adopting an Evidence-Based Lifestyle Physical Activity Program: Dissemination Study Design and Methods.

BACKGROUND: There is a scarcity of research studies that have examined academic-commercial partnerships to disseminate evidence-based physical activity programs. Understanding this approach to dissemination is essential because academic-commercial partnerships are increasingly common. Private companies have used dissemination channels and strategies to a degree that academicians have not, and declining resources require academicians to explore these partnerships.

Supporting tobacco control: stimulating local newspaper coverage with a technical assistance website for local coalitions.

A large and growing literature confirms that well-designed web-based programs can be effective in preventing or treating several chronic diseases. This study examined how the Internet can deliver information and train community activists and specifically tested the effects of web-based technical assistance on local tobacco control coalitions' efforts to use media advocacy to advance their agendas. The authors compared a highly interactive, Enhanced website (intervention) to a noninteractive, Basic text-based website (comparison) in Colorado communities.

Continued benefits of a technical assistance web site to local tobacco control coalitions during a state budget shortfall.

Context: A state budget shortfall defunded 10 local tobacco coalitions during a randomized trial but defunded coalitions continued to have access to 2 technical assistance Web sites.

Objective: To test the ability of Web-based technology to provide technical assistance to local tobacco control coalitions.

Design: Randomized 2-group trial with local tobacco control coalitions as the unit of randomization.

Newspaper Coverage of Cancer Prevention: Multilevel Evidence for Knowledge Gap Effects.

Prior research on knowledge gap effects, in health as well as in other domains, has focused largely on assessing individual-level differences in exposure to news based on self-report of media use. Inherent inferential limitations of this approach are addressed by testing the hypothesis that the relationship between education and cancer prevention knowledge will be moderated by regional differences in U.S.

A content analysis of cancer survivorship coverage in a representative sample of US news outlets.

Background: Media are popular sources of cancer information, yet little is known about how survivors are depicted.

Methods: This study analyzes coverage of cancer survivors in a nationally representative sample of newspapers and television newscasts. Stories were coded for cancer type, gender, age, survivorship length and status, treatment types, and spirituality, among other variables.

News coverage of cancer in the United States: a national sample of newspapers, television, and magazines.

A content analysis of cancer news coverage in a sample of local and national newspapers, television, and magazines was conducted for the years 2002 and 2003. Analyses compared proportions of mentions of cancer sites with proportional contribution to cancer incidence and mortality based on available epidemiological estimates. Analyses also examined relative attention provided to prevention, detection, treatment, causes, and outcomes of various cancers.

Predictors of government officials' support for youth tobacco control policies.

Preventing youth access to tobacco products is a crucial public health goal. This study examines support by elected city and county officials in Colorado for enacting youth tobacco control policies in the State of Colorado. Participating city and county officials (n = 684) were surveyed regarding their attitudes and opinions on tobacco-related issues and policy control efforts.

Inferring strategies for disseminating physical activity policies, programs, and practices from the successes of tobacco control.

Efforts at reducing tobacco use in the United States and Canada over the last half century have been amazingly successful. This article examines those efforts in order to identify policies, programs, and practices found useful in tobacco control that might be usefully disseminated to world populations to improve rates of physical activity. Tobacco-control activities began with efforts to influence the individual smoker through public education and counter-advertising.

Predictors of support for environmental tobacco smoke bans in state government.

Background: Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a major threat to public health, associated with a number of serious diseases, and a leading cause of death. Previous research demonstrates that enactment of government policies mandating clean indoor air is effective in creating more smoke-free public places and decreasing the incidence of smoking. Both researchers and community activists have an interest in understanding the factors that predict support for the regulation of ETS.