Television and delivery of health promotion programs to remote Aboriginal communities

To assess the effect of anti-tobacco television advertising in comparison to other anti-tobacco interventions for Aboriginal people in remote communities in the Northern Territory.

This research was carried out as part of a large study evaluating the effect of multi-component, evidence-based tobacco interventions developed in three remote communities. Community surveys (assessing changes in smoking behaviour and exposure to tobacco interventions) were used to assess exposure to and effect of television advertising, relative to other interventions over the intervention year.

351 community members were interviewed. Exposure to anti-tobacco television advertising was high among both smokers and non-smokers (86% vs. 85%, p = 0.78). However, those who recalled seeing anti-tobacco advertising were no more likely to have quit than those who had not (11 exposed (6%) vs. 3 non-exposed (10%), Fisher's Exact Test p = 0.42). Logistic regression showed that exposure to individual tobacco interventions was not associated with an increased chance of cessation during the intervention year.

Recall of anti-tobacco television advertising was high in these remote Aboriginal communities; more Aboriginal people recalled exposure to anti-tobacco television advertising than to any other cessation intervention. Although the overall cessation rate was low, a small number of smokers had given up as a result of seeing these television advertisements.