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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2006.090340v1 AJPH.2006.090340v2 98/3/536    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Nelson, D. E. Articles by Maibach, E. W. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Nelson, D. E. Articles by Maibach, E. W. Related Collections Health Promotion Media Smoking Cessation

David E. Nelson, MD, MPH, Meg Gallogly, MPH, Linda L. Pederson, PhD, Matthew Barry, MPA, Daniel McGoldrick, MS and Edward W. Maibach, PhD, MPH

David E. Nelson and Linda Pederson are with the Office on Smoking and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga. Meg Gallogly, Matthew Berry, and Daniel McGoldrick are with the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, Washington, DC. Edward Maibach is with the School of Public Health and Health Services, George Washington University, Washington, DC.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to David E. Nelson, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office on Smoking and Health, 4770 Buford Highway, NE, Mail-stop K-50, Atlanta, GA 30341-3717 (e-mail: den2{at}cdc.gov).

Objectives. We identified the mass media channels that reach the most cigarette smokers in an attempt to more effectively target smoking cessation messages.

Methods. Reach estimates and index scores for smokers were taken from 2002–2003 ConsumerStyles and HealthStyles national surveys of adults (N=11660) to estimate overall and demographic-specific exposure measures for television, radio, newspapers, and magazines.

Results. Smokers viewed more television, listened to more radio, and read fewer magazines and newspapers than did nonsmokers. Nearly one third of smokers were regular daytime or late-night television viewers. Selected cable television networks (USA, Lifetime, and Discovery Channel) and selected radio genres, such as classic rock and country, had high reach and were cost-efficient channels for targeting smokers.

Conclusions. Certain mass media channels offer efficient opportunities to target smoking cessation messages so they reach relatively large audiences of smokers at relatively low cost. The approach used in this study can be applied to other types of health risk factors to improve health communication planning and increase efficiency of program media expenditures.