Publication year: 2011
Source: Addictive Behaviors, In Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available online 25 March 2011
Andrew A., Strasser , Heather, Orom , Kathy Z., Tang , Rachel L., Dumont , Joseph N., Cappella , …
The internet is a major source of health information and several notable health web sites contain information on the risks associated with cigar smoking. Previous research indicates that internet pages containing health information on cigars have high reading levels and are restricted to text material, which can decrease understanding. We examined the effects of existing text-only (from the United States National Cancer Institute website) versus novel graphic-enhanced information on smokers’ perceptions of health risks associated with cigar smoking.The study was a laboratory-based single session of current cigarette smokers (n=102) who viewed cigar smoking risk information on a computer monitor then…
Research highlights: ►We examined the effects of text-only versus graphic information on cigar smoking risk perception. ►Text participants were more likely to underestimate perceived cigar risks compared to graphic participants. ►Graphic viewers were more likely to share the cigar health risk information versus text-only. ►Utilizing graphics on health information internet pages improve perceived cigar risk.