Jennifer Cantrell
Jennifer Cantrell
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Assistant Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences
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Professional overview
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Jennifer Cantrell, DrPH, MPA, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at the NYU School of Global Public Health. Her research investigates emerging trends in tobacco and nicotine use and industry marketing, and explores clinical, countermarketing and policy interventions to diminish tobacco's appeal and promote health equity.
Dr. Cantrell currently leads a National Cancer Institute (NCI)-funded grant (R01CA268932) that uses Multiphase Optimization STrategy (MOST) to optimize cessation treatment for smokers living with HIV in clinical care. This study uses MOST, implementation science and decision analysis to test four interventions targeting multilevel barriers to quitting for people living with HIV, with the aim of developing a cost-effective, scalable and sustainable treatment package delivered in HIV clinical care. In other funded research, Dr. Cantrell uses diverse data sources and methods to explore evolving tobacco and nicotine use patterns and the commercial determinants that drive use. Her research also examines innovative digital counter-marketing strategies with a focus on achieving optimal exposure levels and effective counter-messaging.
Dr. Cantrell is a Co-Investigator with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)-funded R25 training grant on Optimization of Behavioral and Biobehavioral Interventions (PI: Linda Collins). She is Chair of Early Career Faculty Outreach for the NYU Center for the Advancement and Dissemination of Intervention Optimization (CADIO), which trains investigators in intervention optimization methodologies worldwide. She has also served on the Advisory Committees for the Treatment Network and the Health Equity Network for the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. Dr. Cantrell has published over 70 scientific articles and co-authored a chapter on “Communication, Marketing and Tobacco-related Disparities” in the NCI Monograph 22: A Socioecological Approach to Tobacco-related Disparities. Her research has been published in the American Journal of Public Health, Addiction, Nicotine & Tobacco Research and other leading journals, and featured in media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, NPR, and The Boston Globe. She also received the highly competitive National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Program award from the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities for her work on tobacco disparities and health equity.
Prior to joining NYU GPH, Dr. Cantrell was a Managing Director and Scientist at Truth Initiative, a national non-profit research and education organization focused on tobacco use prevention and cessation, where she evaluated and conducted research on national anti-smoking mass media efforts, including the award-winning truth® campaign and the Centers for Disease Control’s Tips for Former Smokers campaign. As part of this work, she led the development of the winning proposal for the 2017 Berreth Award for Excellence in Public Health Communication. She earned her DrPH from Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and her MPA from Columbia University School of International and Public Affairs. She completed postdoctoral training in the NIDA program for Behavioral Science Training in Drug Abuse Research at National Development Research Institutes in New York, NY. -
Areas of research and study
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Alcohol, Tobacco and Driving PoliciesBehavioral ScienceHealth DisparitiesPopulation HealthPublic Health PolicySocial BehaviorsSocial epidemiology
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Publications
Publications
Recruiting and retaining youth and young adults: Challenges and opportunities in survey research for tobacco control
AbstractCantrell, J., Hair, E. C., Smith, A., Bennett, M., Rath, J. M., Thomas, R. K., Fahimi, M., Dennis, J. M., & Vallone, D. (n.d.).Publication year
2018Journal title
Tobacco controlVolume
27Issue
2Page(s)
147-154AbstractIntroduction Evaluation studies of population-based tobacco control interventions often rely on large-scale survey data from numerous respondents across many geographic areas to provide evidence of their effectiveness. Significant challenges for survey research have emerged with the evolving communications landscape, particularly for surveying hard-to-reach populations such as youth and young adults. This study combines the comprehensive coverage of an address-based sampling (ABS) frame with the timeliness of online data collection to develop a nationally representative longitudinal cohort of young people aged 15-21. Methods We constructed an ABS frame, partially supplemented with auxiliary data, to recruit this hard-to-reach sample. Branded and tested mail-based recruitment materials were designed to bring respondents online for screening, consent and surveying. Once enrolled, respondents completed online surveys every 6 months via computer, tablet or smartphone. Numerous strategies were utilized to enhance retention and representativeness Results Results detail sample performance, representativeness and retention rates as well as device utilization trends for survey completion among youth and young adult respondents. Panel development efforts resulted in a large, nationally representative sample with high retention rates. Conclusions This study is among the first to employ this hybrid ABS-to-online methodology to recruit and retain youth and young adults in a probability-based online cohort panel. The approach is particularly valuable for conducting research among younger populations as it capitalizes on their increasing access to and comfort with digital communication. We discuss challenges and opportunities of panel recruitment and retention methods in an effort to provide valuable information for tobacco control researchers seeking to obtain representative, population-based samples of youth and young adults in the U.S. as well as across the globe.Swisher Sweets a Artist Project': Using musical events to promote cigars
Ganz, O., Rose, S. W., & Cantrell, J. (n.d.).Publication year
2018Journal title
Tobacco controlVolume
27Page(s)
E93-E95Correlates of cigar use by type and flavor among U.S. young adults: 2011-2015
Glasser, A. M., Johnson, A. L., Rose, S. W., Ganz, O., Cantrell, J., Delnevo, C. D., & Villanti, A. C. (n.d.).Publication year
2017Journal title
Tobacco Regulatory ScienceHarnessing Youth and Young Adult Culture: Improving the Reach and Engagement of the truth® Campaign
AbstractHair, E., Pitzer, L., Bennett, M., Halenar, M., Rath, J., Cantrell, J., Dorrler, N., Asche, E., & Vallone, D. (n.d.).Publication year
2017Journal title
Journal of Health CommunicationVolume
22Issue
7Page(s)
568-575AbstractThe national youth and young adult tobacco prevention mass media campaign, truth®, relaunched in 2014 with the goal of creating “the generation that ends smoking.” The objective of this study was to assess whether the strategy of airing truth ads during popular, culturally relevant televised events was associated with higher ad and brand awareness and increases in social media engagement. Awareness of six truth advertisements that aired during popular television events and self-reported social media engagement were assessed via cross-sectional online surveys of youth and young adults aged 15–21 years. Social engagement was also measured using separate Twitter and YouTube metrics. Logistic regression models predicted self-reported social engagement and any ad awareness, and a negative binomial regression predicted the total social media engagement across digital platforms. The study found that viewing a popular televised event was associated with higher odds of ad awareness and social engagement. The results also indicate that levels of social media engagement for an event period are greater than for a nonevent period. The findings demonstrate that premiering advertisements during a popular, culturally relevant televised event is associated with higher awareness of truth ads and increased social engagement related to the campaign, controlling for variables that might also influence the response to campaign messages.Mobile marketing: An emerging strategy to promote electronic nicotine delivery systems
Cantrell, J., Ganz, O., Emelle, B., Moore, R., Rath, J., Hair, E. C., & Vallone, D. (n.d.).Publication year
2017Journal title
Tobacco controlVolume
26Page(s)
E148-E150Progression to established patterns of cigarette smoking among young adults
AbstractHair, E., Bennett, M., Williams, V., Johnson, A., Rath, J., Cantrell, J., Villanti, A., Enders, C., & Vallone, D. (n.d.).Publication year
2017Journal title
Drug and alcohol dependenceVolume
177Page(s)
77-83AbstractBackground As tobacco control policies have been implemented across the U.S. over the past decade, patterns of smoking cigarettes have significantly changed, particularly among young adults. For many users, the typical daily use pattern of smoking several packs of cigarettes per day has been supplanted by a variety of use patterns, often referred to as light, intermittent, and occasional smoking. Methods The aim of this study was to examine progression to established smoking patterns among a nationally representative, longitudinal sample of young adults (n = 9791). Using repeated measures latent class techniques (RMLCA), we modeled the distribution of cigarette smoking intensity over time and latent class categories. Results Findings demonstrate that young adults fall into three discrete classes that reflect probabilities for never to low use, daily use, and variable cigarette use for progression to established use of cigarettes: 79.3% fall into the class of “never or ever users” of cigarettes (no current use of cigarettes), 11.3% fall into the class of “rapid escalators” or daily users of cigarettes, and 9.4% fall into the “dabbler” class. Smoking patterns were found to be stable by the age of 21. Conclusions Intervening prior to age 21 has the potential to disrupt progression to established smoking and reduce the long-term health consequences of smoking in this age group.The effect of branding to promote healthy behavior: Reducing tobacco use among youth and young adults
AbstractVallone, D., Greenberg, M., Xiao, H., Bennett, M., Cantrell, J., Rath, J., & Hair, E. (n.d.).Publication year
2017Journal title
International journal of environmental research and public healthVolume
14Issue
12AbstractPolicy interventions such as public health mass media campaigns disseminate messages in order to improve health-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behaviors at the population level. Only more recently have campaigns that promote health-related behaviors adopted branding, a well-established marketing strategy, to influence how consumers think and feel about a message. This study examines whether positive brand equity for the national truth® campaign is associated with lower likelihood of cigarette use over time using the nationally representative Truth Longitudinal Cohort of youth and young adults, aged 15-21. Logistic regression models were used to examine the relationship between brand equity and the likelihood of reporting past 30-day smoking over a 12-month period. Respondents who reported positive brand equity were significantly less likely to report past 30-day smoking 12 months later (OR = 0.66, p < 0.05), controlling for covariates known to influence tobacco use behavior. Findings also translate the effect size difference to a population estimate of more than 300,000 youth and young adults having been prevented from current smoking over the course of a year. Building brand equity is a strategic process for health promotion campaigns, not only to improve message recall and salience but also to influence behavioral outcomes.The Relationship between Advertising-Induced Anger and Self-efficacy on Persuasive Outcomes: A Test of the Anger Activism Model Using the Truth Campaign
AbstractIlakkuvan, V., Turner, M. M., Cantrell, J., Hair, E., & Vallone, D. (n.d.).Publication year
2017Journal title
Family and Community HealthVolume
40Issue
1Page(s)
72-80AbstractTurner's Anger Activism Model (AAM) contends anger and efficacy interact in a unique way to determine message responses to campaign materials. This study tested the AAM using responses to 2 truth antismoking advertisements collected in August-October 2014 via an online, cross-sectional survey of 15- to 21-year-olds. Those aware of each of the truth advertisements (n = 319 for each) were organized into 4 anger/efficacy groups. Analysis of variance and regressions were conducted to understand group differences in message-related cognitions (persuasiveness, receptivity, conversation). Message cognitions were highest among the high anger/high efficacy group and lowest among the low anger/low efficacy group.Trajectories of hookah use: Harm perceptions from youth to young adulthood
AbstractHair, E., Rath, J. M., Pitzer, L., Emelle, B., Ganz, O., Halenar, M. J., Cantrell, J., & Vallone, D. (n.d.).Publication year
2017Journal title
American Journal of Health BehaviorVolume
41Issue
3Page(s)
240-247AbstractObjectives: Hookah use has increased in United States, especially among young adults. This study investigates the role of harm perceptions of hookah use over a 2-year period in a nationally representative sample of youth and young adults as they transition to young adulthood. Methods: Using a probability-based, nationally representative, longitudinal cohort of youth aged 15-21, we analyzed the 7536 participants who completed all 4 waves. Ordered logit growth models examined changes over time in hookah use, and whether that relationship varies by baseline harm perceptions. Results: Results show that age, sex, parental education, race, and smoking status are significant predictors of hookah use. Additionally, those who perceive hookah as "less harmful" than cigarettes have the highest probability of current hookah use over time, compared to those with more accurate harm perceptions. Conclusions: This study helps confirm the influence of harm perceptions of hookah tobacco on hookah use among youth and young adults. Increased public education efforts aimed at youth and young adults can help shift knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding the health consequences of hookah use.Validity of a Subjective Financial Situation Measure to Assess Socioeconomic Status in US Young Adults
AbstractWilliams, V. F., Smith, A. A., Villanti, A. C., Rath, J. M., Hair, E. C., Cantrell, J., Teplitskaya, L., & Vallone, D. M. (n.d.).Publication year
2017Journal title
Journal of Public Health Management and PracticeVolume
23Issue
5Page(s)
487-495AbstractPurpose: Young adulthood is an important period for preventing the establishment of negative health behaviors that can influence trajectories to chronic disease and early death. Given the evolving nature of educational attainment and income variation during this developmental period, identifying indicators of socioeconomic status (SES) remains a challenge. This study examines measures of subjective and objective indicators of SES to predict health risk for young adults. Methods: This study uses data from the Truth Initiative Young Adult Cohort Study from respondents aged 18 to 34 years who completed 3 consecutive surveys between June 2011 and August 2012 (n = 2182). Analyses were conducted to compare a measure of subjective financial situation (SFS) to commonly used SES measures for adults and adolescents. Age-stratified, multivariable logistic regression was used to model the relationship between 5 SES indicators (SFS, household income, respondent education, parental education, and subjective childhood financial situation) and dichotomized versions of 3 health status measures (body mass index, self-reported health status, and quality of life), controlling for gender, race/ethnicity, and region. Results: Findings indicate that SFS is associated with other commonly used SES measures. Prospective associations with health outcomes revealed that SFS is a stronger predictor of health outcomes among young adults aged 18 to 24 years as compared with other SES measures. Conclusion: This study provides evidence that subjective financial situation may be more robust than traditional SES indicators in predicting health outcomes among young adults, particularly for 18- to 24-year-olds, and should be considered a viable candidate measure for assessing SES among this age group.Agents of social change: A model for targeting and engaging generation Z across platforms: How a nonprofit rebuilt an advertising campaign to curb smoking by teens and young adults
AbstractVallone, D., Smith, A., Kenney, T., Greenberg, M., Hair, E., Cantrell, J., Rath, J., & Koval, R. (n.d.).Publication year
2016Journal title
Journal of Advertising ResearchVolume
56Issue
4Page(s)
414-425AbstractThe Truth Initiative strives to protect a new generation of youths who are prime prospects for the tobacco industry, by engaging that audience and reigniting their interest. The current authors oversaw a three-phase study that included recruiting a national cohort sample-believed to be the first of its kind-of more than 10,000 members of Generation Z, ages 15 to 21 years old. The authors’ methods informed a new cross-platform campaign that fueled brand awareness and prompted changes in attitudes against smoking, while generating $88.6 million in earned media value with 78.5 million earned media impressions.American spirit pack descriptors and perceptions of harm: A crowdsourced comparison of modified packs
AbstractPearson, J. L., Richardson, A., Feirman, S. P., Villanti, A. C., Cantrell, J., Cohn, A., Tacelosky, M., & Kirchner, T. R. (n.d.).Publication year
2016Journal title
Nicotine and Tobacco ResearchVolume
18Issue
8Page(s)
1749-1756AbstractIntroduction: In 2015, the Food and Drug Administration issued warnings to three tobacco manufacturers who label their cigarettes as "additive-free" and/or "natural" on the grounds that they make unauthorized reduced risk claims. The goal of this study was to examine US adults' perceptions of three American Spirit (AS) pack descriptors ("Made with Organic Tobacco," "100% Additive-Free," and "100% US Grown Tobacco") to assess if they communicate reduced risk. Methods: In September 2012, three cross-sectional surveys were posted on Amazon Mechanical Turk. Adult participants evaluated the relative harm of a Marlboro Red pack versus three different AS packs with the descriptors "Made with Organic Tobacco," "100% Additive-Free," or "100% US Grown Tobacco" (Survey 1; n = 461); a Marlboro Red pack versus these AS packs modified to exclude descriptors (Survey 2; n = 857); and unmodified versus modified AS pack images (Survey 3; n = 1001). Results: The majority of Survey 1 participants rated the unmodified AS packs as less harmful than the Marlboro Red pack; 35.4%-58.8% of Survey 2 participants also rated the modified (no claims) packs as less harmful than Marlboro Red. In these surveys, prior use of AS cigarettes was associated with reduced perceptions of risk (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.59-2.40). "Made with Organic Tobacco" and "100% Additive-Free" were associated with reduced perceptions of risk when comparing the modified versus the unmodified AS packs (Survey 3). Conclusions: Data suggest that these AS pack descriptors communicate reduced harm messages to consumers. Findings have implications for regulatory actions related to product labeling and packaging. Implications: These findings provide additional evidence that the "Made with Organic Tobacco," "100% Additive-Free," and "100% US Grown" descriptors, as well as other aspects of the AS pack design, communicate reduced harm to non-, current, and former smokers. Additionally, they provide support for the importance of FDA's 2015 warning to Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company on "100% Additive Free" as an unauthorized modified risk claim.Design and Feasibility Testing of the truth FinishIt Tobacco Countermarketing Brand Equity Scale
AbstractEvans, W. D., Rath, J., Pitzer, L., Hair, E. C., Snider, J., Cantrell, J., & Vallone, D. (n.d.).Publication year
2016Journal title
Journal of Health CommunicationVolume
21Issue
7Page(s)
800-808AbstractThe original truth campaign was a branded, national smoking prevention mass media effort focused on at-risk youth ages 12–17. Today the truth brand focuses on the goal of finishing tobacco (truth FinishIt). There have been significant changes in the tobacco control landscape, leading FinishIt to focus on 15- to 21-year-olds. The present article reports on formative research and media monitoring data collected to pilot test a new truth FinishIt brand equity scale. The goals of this study were to (a) content analyze truth FinishIt mass media ads, (b) assess truth’s social media and followers’ perceptions of truth’s digital brand identity, and (c) develop and feasibility test a new version of the truth FinishIt brand equity scale using data from an existing Truth Initiative media monitoring study. Through factor analysis, we identified a brand equity scale, as in previous research, consisting of 4 main constructs: brand loyalty, leadership/satisfaction, personality, and awareness. Targeted truth attitudes and beliefs about social perceptions, acceptability, and industry-related beliefs were regressed on the higher order factor and each of the 4 individual brand equity factors. Ordinary least squares regression models generally showed associations in the expected directions (positive for anti-tobacco and negative for pro-tobacco) between targeted attitudes/beliefs and truth FinishIt brand equity. This study succeeded in developing and validating a new truth FinishIt brand equity scale. The scale may be a valuable metric for future campaign evaluation. Future studies should examine the effects of truth FinishIt brand equity on tobacco use behavioral outcomes over time.Direct-to-Consumer Marketing of Cigar Productsin the United States
AbstractGanz, O., Teplitskaya, L., Cantrell, J., Hair, E. C., & Vallone, D. (n.d.).Publication year
2016Journal title
Nicotine and Tobacco ResearchVolume
18Issue
5Page(s)
864-868AbstractIntroduction: Although cigar use and sales have increased in the United States over the past decade,little is known about how these products are promoted. Direct-to-consumer (DTC) advertisingis a common method used to promote tobacco products and may be a potential channel throughwhich cigars are advertised.Methods: Comperemedia (Mintel) was used to acquire opt-in direct mail and email advertising forthe top 10 cigar brands in the United States between January 2013 and July 2014. The advertisementand corresponding data on brand, advertising spend, and mail volume were downloadedand summarized. Promotions such as coupons, giveaways, and sweepstakes were also examined.Results: A total of 92 unique advertisements met the search criteria and included two brands: Black & Mild (n = 77) and Swisher Sweets (n = 15). Expenditures on direct mail advertising during thisperiod totaled $12 809 630. Black & Mild encompassed 80% of total direct mail volume and 78% ofdirect mail advertising expenditures. Almost all advertisements contained at least one promotion(88%) and included a URL to the product website (85%).Conclusions: The results suggest that Black & Mild and Swisher Sweets are the primary cigar brandsusing DTC advertising. Promotional offers were nearly ubiquitous among the advertisements,which may appeal to price-sensitive populations. Future studies should continue to examine cigaradvertising via direct mail and email, in addition to other channels, such as the point-of-sale.Implications: Although cigar use and sales have increased in the United States over the past decade,there is limited data on cigar advertising. This article provides a snapshot of expenditures,volume, and promotional content of DTC cigar advertising in the United States between January2013 and July 2014.Rapid increase in e-cigarette advertising spending as Altria’s markten enters the marketplace
Cantrell, J., Emelle, B., Ganz, O., Hair, E. C., & Vallone, D. (n.d.).Publication year
2016Journal title
Tobacco controlVolume
25Page(s)
e16-e18Tobacco retail outlet density and young adult tobacco initiation
AbstractCantrell, J., Pearson, J. L., Anesetti-Rothermel, A., Xiao, H., Kirchner, T. R., & Vallone, D. (n.d.).Publication year
2016Journal title
Nicotine and Tobacco ResearchVolume
18Issue
2Page(s)
130-137AbstractBackground: A growing body of evidence indicates that the density of tobacco retail outlets around the home residence may influence tobacco use among youth and adults. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of neighborhood tobacco retail outlet density on young adult initiation of different tobacco product types. Methods: Cross-sectional data from a 2013 nationally representative sample of young adults aged 18-34 was examined in relation to a 2012 geocoded listing of all outlets likely to sell tobacco in the United States. Separate multivariable logistic regression analyses examined associations between neighborhood outlet density and past 6 months first use of cigarettes, non-cigarette combustible products, and noncombustible products among adults aged 18-24 and 25-34. Results: Outlet density was significantly associated with recent initiation of cigarettes and other combustibles, but this impact varied for younger and older groups. Increased density was significantly associated with a higher likelihood of initiating cigarette use among adults aged 25-34 (OR = 3.75, 95% CI = 1.18, 11.90), and of initiating non-cigarette combustible use among 18-24 year olds (OR = 3.16, 95% CI = 1.03, 9.74). There was no impact of outlet density on recent noncombustible product initiation among either group. Conclusion: This study is the first to examine the impact of tobacco outlet density on young adult initiation of cigarettes and other tobacco products. Findings demonstrate that residential neighborhood outlet density is associated with recent initiation of combustible products and this effect varies by product type and age. The tobacco outlet environment may be a critical factor in promoting young adult tobacco use initiation.Young adult utilization of a smoking cessation website: An observational study comparing young and older adult patterns of use
AbstractCantrell, J., Ilakkuvan, V., Graham, A. L., Richardson, A., Xiao, H., Mermelstein, R. J., Curry, S. J., Sporer, A. K., & Vallone, D. M. (n.d.).Publication year
2016Journal title
JMIR Research ProtocolsVolume
5Issue
3AbstractBackground: There is little research on how young adults or young adult subgroups utilize and engage with Web-based cessation interventions when trying to quit smoking. Addressing this knowledge gap is important to identify opportunities to optimize the effectiveness of online cessation programs across diverse young adult users. Objective: This study examines utilization of the BecomeAnEX.org smoking cessation website among young adults and young adult subgroups compared with older adults to identify patterns of use by age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Methods: Study participants were 5983 new registered users on a free smoking cessation website who were aged 18 to 70 years. Website utilization was tracked for 6 months; metrics of use included website visits, pages per visit, length of visit, and interaction with specific website features. Differences in website use by age were examined via bivariate analyses and multivariate logistic regression adjusted for age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Interactions were examined to determine differences by gender and race/ethnicity within young (18-to 24-year-olds and 25-to 34-year-olds) and older (35 years and older) adult segments. Results: A greater percentage of young adults aged 18 to 34 years visited the site only once compared with older adults aged 35 years and older (72.05% vs 56.59%, respectively; P.001). Young adults also spent less time on the site and viewed fewer pages than older adults. In adjusted analyses, young adults were significantly less likely than older adults to visit the site more than once (18-24 years: Adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.58, 95% CI 0.49-0.68, P.001; 25-34 years: AOR 0.56, 95% CI 0.50-0.64, P.001), spend more than 3 minutes on the site (18-24 years: AOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.57-0.79, P.001; 25-34 years: AOR 0.56, 95% CI 0.49-0.64, P.001), view 12 or more pages (18-24 years: AOR 0.72, 95% CI 0.61-0.83; P.001; 25-34 years: AOR 0.67, 95% CI 0.59-0.76, P.001), utilize the BecomeAnEX.org community (18-24 years: AOR 0.61, 95% CI 0.48-0.79, P.001; 25-34 years: AOR 0.73, 95% CI 0.60-0.88, P.001), or utilize Separation Exercises (18-24 years: AOR 0.68, 95% CI 0.51-0.89, P.01; 25-34 years: AOR 0.77, 95% CI 0.63-0.94, P.01). Gender differences in utilization were more pronounced among young adults compared with older adults, with lower levels of utilization among young men than young women. For all age groups, utilization was higher among whites and African Americans than among Hispanics and other racial minorities, with one exception BecomeAnEX.org community utilization was significantly higher among Hispanic young adults compared with white and African American young adults. Conclusions: Results point to important areas of inquiry for future research and development efforts. Research should focus on enhancing demand and increasing engagement among younger adults and men, examining strategies for capitalizing on young adult developmental needs, and increasing utilization of effective site features among diverse young adult users.Young adult utilization of a smoking cessation website: results of an observational study comparing young and older adult patterns of use
Cantrell, J., Ilakkuvan, V., Graham, A. L., Xiao, H., Richardson, A., Mermelstein, R., Curry, S. J., Sporer, A. K., & Vallone, D. (n.d.).Publication year
2016Journal title
JMIR Research ProtocolsCigarette price variation around high schools: Evidence from Washington DC
AbstractCantrell, J., Ganz, O., Anesetti-Rothermel, A., Harrell, P., Kreslake, J. M., Xiao, H., Pearson, J. L., Vallone, D., & Kirchner, T. R. (n.d.).Publication year
2015Journal title
Health and PlaceVolume
31Page(s)
193-198AbstractThis study examines lowest cigarette prices in all tobacco retail outlets in Washington D.C. (. n=750) in relation to the type and number of high schools nearby, controlling for confounders. The lowest overall and Newport menthol prices were significantly lower at outlets near public non-charter and charter schools compared with outlets near private schools. Given higher smoking prevalence and more price-sensitive youth subgroups in U.S. public schools, exposure to low prices may contribute to tobacco-related health disparities in minority and low-income populations. Tobacco taxes combined with policies to minimize the increasing use of price as a marketing tool are critical.Contextual Influences and Campaign Awareness among Young Adults: Evidence from the National truth ® Campaign
AbstractVallone, D. M., Ilakkuvan, V., Xiao, H., Cantrell, J., Rath, J., & Hair, E. (n.d.).Publication year
2015Journal title
Behavioral MedicineVolume
41Issue
3Page(s)
155-163AbstractMass media campaigns have been found to shape the public's knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and behavior around tobacco. This study examines the influence of contextual factors with respect to awareness of the national truth ® campaign, a mass media, branded tobacco use prevention campaign, among a sample of young adults (n = 2,804) aged 24-34 years old; these respondents were within the age range for both the primary and secondary targets of the campaign during the period (2000-2007) when the campaign was airing television advertising at consistently high levels. Mulitvariable models reveal lower educational attainment and Hispanic ethnicity as significant contextual factors predictive of lower campaign awareness, controlling for media use. In contrast, gender, state tobacco control policy, sensation-seeking, current smoking status, and community-level SES variables were not significantly associated with campaign awareness. Further research is needed to identify the mechanisms through which public education campaigns operate, particularly among disadvantaged communities.Electronic cigarette advertising at the point-of-sale: A gap in tobacco control research
Ganz, O., Cantrell, J., Moon-Howard, J., Aidala, A., Kirchner, T. R., & Vallone, D. (n.d.).Publication year
2015Journal title
Tobacco controlVolume
24Page(s)
e110-e112Exploring smoking cessation attitudes, beliefs, and practices in occupational health nursing
AbstractGanz, O., Fortuna, G., Weinsier, S., Campbell, K., Cantrell, J., & Furmanski, W. L. (n.d.).Publication year
2015Journal title
Workplace Health and SafetyVolume
63Issue
7Page(s)
288-296AbstractThe purpose of this study was to explore occupational health nurses' attitudes, beliefs, and practices regarding the delivery of smoking cessation services to workers. The study included 707 members of the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses (AAOHN) who completed a one-time survey during the fall of 2012. Results indicated that occupational health nurses believed that evidence-based treatments are at least somewhat effective and that they should provide smoking cessation services to their workers; however, a majority of occupational health nurses reported that they did not have appropriate smoking cessation training or guidelines in their workplaces. Occupational health nurses would benefit from training in the use of smoking cessation guidelines and evidence-based smoking cessation interventions, which could be used in their clinical practice. Employers should ensure that workplace policies, such as providing coverage for cessation services, facilitate smokers' efforts to quit. Employers can benefit from many of these policies through cost savings via reduced health care costs and absenteeism.Implementation of a multimodal mobile system for point-of-sale surveillance: Lessons learned from case studies in washington, dc, and new york city
AbstractCantrell, J., Ganz, O., Ilakkuvan, V., Tacelosky, M., Kreslake, J., Moon-Howard, J., Aidala, A., Vallone, D., Anesetti-Rothermel, A., & Kirchner, T. R. (n.d.).Publication year
2015Journal title
JMIR Public Health and SurveillanceVolume
1Issue
2AbstractBackground: In tobacco control and other fields, point-of-sale surveillance of the retail environment is critical for understanding industry marketing of products and informing public health practice. Innovations in mobile technology can improve existing, paper-based surveillance methods, yet few studies describe in detail how to operationalize the use of technology in public health surveillance. Objective: The aims of this paper are to share implementation strategies and lessons learned from 2 tobacco, point-of-sale surveillance projects to inform and prepare public health researchers and practitioners to implement new mobile technologies in retail point-of-sale surveillance systems. Methods: From 2011 to 2013, 2 point-of-sale surveillance pilot projects were conducted in Washington, DC, and New York, New York, to capture information about the tobacco retail environment and test the feasibility of a multimodal mobile data collection system, which included capabilities for audio or video recording data, electronic photographs, electronic location data, and a centralized back-end server and dashboard. We established a preimplementation field testing process for both projects, which involved a series of rapid and iterative tests to inform decisions and establish protocols around key components of the project. Results: Important components of field testing included choosing a mobile phone that met project criteria, establishing an efficient workflow and accessible user interfaces for each component of the system, training and providing technical support to fieldworkers, and developing processes to integrate data from multiple sources into back-end systems that can be utilized in real-time. Conclusions: A well-planned implementation process is critical for successful use and performance of multimodal mobile surveillance systems. Guidelines for implementation include (1) the need to establish and allow time for an iterative testing framework for resolving technical and logistical challenges; (2) developing a streamlined workflow and user-friendly interfaces for data collection; (3) allowing for ongoing communication, feedback, and technology-related skill-building among all staff; and (4) supporting infrastructure for back-end data systems. Although mobile technologies are evolving rapidly, lessons learned from these case studies are essential for ensuring that the many benefits of new mobile systems for rapid point-of-sale surveillance are fully realized.National enforcement of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act at point-of-sale
Kirchner, T., Villanti, A. C., Tacelosky, M., Anesetti-Rothermel, A., Gao, H., Pearson, J. L., Ganz, O., Cantrell, J., Vallone, D., & Abrams, D. (n.d.).Publication year
2015Journal title
Tobacco Regulatory ScienceVolume
1Issue
1Page(s)
24-35Patterns of combustible tobacco use in U.S. young adults and potential response to graphic cigarette health warning labels
AbstractVillanti, A. C., Pearson, J. L., Cantrell, J., Vallone, D. M., & Rath, J. M. (n.d.).Publication year
2015Journal title
Addictive BehaviorsVolume
42Page(s)
119-125AbstractIn the evolving landscape of tobacco use, it remains unclear how tobacco control efforts should be designed and promoted for maximum impact. The current study links the identification of latent classes of young adult combustible tobacco users with anticipated responses to graphic health warning labels (HWLs). Data were collected in January 2012 using an online address-based panel as part of the Legacy Young Adult Cohort Study, and analyses were conducted in 2013. Latent class analyses identified five groups of tobacco users in a national sample of 4,236 young adults aged 18-34. years: (1) little cigar/cigarillo/bidi (LCC) and hookah users (4%); (2) nonusers, open to smoking (3%); (3) daily smokers who self-identify as "smokers" (11%); (4) nondaily, light smokers who self-identify as "social or occasional smokers" (9%); and (5) nonusers closed to smoking (73%). Of the nonusers closed to smoking, 23% may be better characterized as at risk for tobacco initiation. Results indicate differences in the potential effectiveness of HWLs across classes. Compared to the daily "smokers," LCC and hookah users (RRR. =. 2.35) and nonusers closed to smoking (RRR. =. 2.33) were more than twice as likely to report that new graphic HWLs would make them think about not smoking. This study supports the potential of graphic HWLs to prevent young nonusers from using tobacco products. It suggests that the extension of prominent HWLs to other tobacco products, including LCCs and hookah tobacco, may also serve a prevention function.