Testing Cessation Messages for Cigarette Package Inserts: Findings from a Best/Worst Discrete Choice Experiment

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Tobacco Control

Background:

• Cigarette package inserts are a key tool for tobacco control.
• Understanding smoker preferences for cessation messages and imagery is crucial for effective public health campaigns.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess adult smokers' preferences for different smoking cessation topics and imagery on cigarette package inserts.
• To identify optimal combinations of message content and visual elements to motivate smoking cessation.

Main Methods:

• Three discrete choice experiments (DCEs) were conducted with 1000 adult smokers in Canada.
• Participants evaluated and selected preferred smoking cessation messages and imagery.
• Linear mixed models were used to analyze choices based on insert characteristics and smoker demographics.

Main Results:

• Novel disease topics and imagery of younger women were most motivating for cessation (DCE 1).
• Social support, stress reduction, and nicotine replacement therapy topics were most helpful, independent of imagery (DCE 2).
• Imagery of family or a mother and baby was most motivating, with imagery influencing choices more than topic (DCE 3).
• Significant interactions revealed that the impact of imagery depended on the message topic.

Conclusions:

• Tailoring message topics and imagery to specific cessation benefits can enhance the effectiveness of cigarette package inserts.
• Combinations of message content and visual elements should be strategically developed for optimal impact on smoking cessation.
• Future tobacco control strategies should leverage these findings to design more persuasive public health messaging.