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Immediate effects on adult drinkers of exposure to alcohol harm reduction advertisements with and without drinking guideline messages: experimental study
Author(s) -
Wakefield Melanie A.,
Brennan Emily,
Dunstone Kimberley,
Durkin Sarah J.,
Dixon Helen G.,
Pettigrew Simone,
Slater Michael D.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1111/add.14147
Subject(s) - harm reduction , guideline , alcohol , environmental health , harm , psychology , medicine , reduction (mathematics) , social psychology , public health , chemistry , pathology , biochemistry , geometry , mathematics
Aims To compare the immediate effects on drinkers of television advertisements focusing upon short‐ versus long‐term harms with and without low‐risk drinking guidelines. Design Between‐participants on‐line experiment, with random assignment to view: (a) alcohol product advertisements (ALC control); (b) advertisements unrelated to alcohol (NON‐ALC control); (c) advertisements featuring short‐term harms (STH) of alcohol; (d) advertisements featuring STH plus a STH guideline (STH+G); (e) advertisements featuring long‐term harms (LTH); or (f) advertisements featuring LTH plus a LTH guideline (LTH+G). Setting Australia, 2016. Participants A total of 3718 drinkers aged 18–64 years (48.5% male). Measurements Post‐exposure likelihood that participants provided a correct estimate of drinking levels associated with short‐ and long‐term harms; post‐exposure intentions to avoid alcohol or reduce consumption. Findings After exposure to STH+G or LTH+G advertisements, participants were more likely to estimate correctly rather than overestimate drinking levels associated with harm, compared with those exposed to STH ( P < 0.001) and LTH advertisements without guidelines, respectively ( P = 0.019) and ALC control (STH+G, P < 0.001; LTH+G, P < 0.001) and NON‐ALC control conditions (STH+G, P < 0.001; LTH+G, P = 0.011). Drinkers exposed to STH conditions were more likely to intend to reduce next‐week alcohol consumption than those exposed to ALC control (both P < 0.001) and NON‐ALC control conditions (STH, P = 0.001; STH+G, P < 0.001); a similar pattern was observed for intentions to avoid alcohol. Drinkers exposed to LTH conditions were also more likely than drinkers exposed to ALC or NON‐ALC controls to intend to avoid and reduce alcohol in the next week. Additionally, drinkers exposed to LTH+G were more likely to intend to reduce drinking than those exposed to LTH advertisements without guidelines ( P = 0.022). Response patterns for low‐ and high‐risk drinkers by condition were similar. Conclusions Alcohol harm television advertisements increase intentions to reduce alcohol consumption among both low‐ and high‐risk drinkers. The addition of low‐risk drinking guidelines can enhance these effects for advertisements featuring long‐term harms and improve estimates of both short‐ and long‐term harmful drinking levels.