Teenage Tobacco Use:

Dr. Hannah Brewer is a faculty member in the Health and Physical Education Department at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where she teaches courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels. She holds a Doctoral Degree in Curriculum and Instruction and a Master s Degree in Health and Physical Education.

The purpose of this study was to examine teenagers perceptions of anti-tobacco campaigns and education. The following four research questions were explored: (a) Do teens that use tobacco products have different perceptions of anti-tobacco campaigns and education than teens who refrain from tobacco use?; (b) Is there a relationship between negative perceptions of anti-tobacco messages and reported tobacco use?; (c) Will counter-industry media campaigns or peer education yield more positive responses than fear and health appeals?; (d) Will peer education be perceived as a favorable means of anti-tobacco education? The subjects (N=204) included in this study were students who were eighteen years of age or older and attending five different public high schools in western Pennsylvania. A survey was used as a means of data collection. Student responses were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square analyses, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), Tukey post hoc analysis, and multiple regression analysis.