Understanding How Cigarette Direct Mail Marketing Influences Smoking Behaviors Among High and Low Socioeconomic Status Young Adult Smokers

Summary

Background:

Smoking is a major public health problem in the U.S. Almost a half a million Americans die from it in a year. One thing that contributes to why people smoke is the marketing of cigarettes. Cigarette direct mail marketing usually targets young smokers of lower socioeconomic status. Researchers want to find out more about how this kind of marketing influences smoking behavior in young people from different socioeconomic levels.

Objectives:

To study the effects of cigarette direct mail marketing on beliefs, responses, and arousal. To study how these things may differ among young adult smokers of high and low socioeconomic status.

Eligibility:

Volunteer adults ages 18 to 29 who smoke.

Design:

Participants will have 1 visit.

Participants will be asked questions about their health and recent smoking.

A nurse will check their vital signs.

Participants will have a simple eye exam.

They will give blood and urine samples.

Participants will be connected to equipment. This will collect data while they look at pictures.

Then they will have a 10-minute break. A nurse will observe them during the break.

Participants will have their breath analyzed.

Participants will answer questions. The topics will include:

Education

Job

Income

Family history

Tobacco use

Exposure to pro-smoking and anti-smoking messages

History of drug and alcohol use

Conditions

• Nicotine Dependence

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Exposure to smoking advertising with coupon

Direct mail marketing of smoking advertising with discount coupon

BEHAVIORAL

Exposure to smoking advertising without coupons

Direct mail marketing of smoking advertising without discount coupon

BEHAVIORAL

Exposure to non health related images

Control group

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

  lead NIH

Principal Investigators

• Tsz Chun Choi, Ph.D. · National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

OTHER

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

29 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2026-03-17

Primary Completion

2026-03-17

Completion

2026-03-17

Countries

• United States

Study Locations