Media Literacy to Prevent Adolescent Smoking Initiation

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Candidate. A graduate of Yale University (BA magna cum laude in English and Mathematics, 1991), Harvard University (EdM in Human Development and Psychology, 1993) and Emory University (MD summa cum laude, 1999), the candidate completed Family Medicine residency training in 2002 and has been Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh (UP). While on faculty, the candidate has first-authored 11 publications, presented papers at national meetings on mass media and health, and completed compelling pilot research on the potential impact of media literacy education on adolescent smoking rates. Career Development. The candidate's long-term career goal is to become an independent, NIH-funded investigator assessing the impact of media/communications-based interventions on adolescent smoking. Related immediate career goals include: 1) To develop knowledge and skills involving clinical research; 2) To become an expert in tobacco control; 3) To gain knowledge and skills involving behavioral science in public health; and 4) To gain expertise in the fields of mass communication and media literacy as they relate to tobacco control. To achieve these goals, the candidate will supplement coursework of the Health and Behavior track of the Clinical Research Training Program (a highly successful NIH-funded K30 at UP) with other formal learning experiences in tobacco control, mass communication, and media literacy. The candidate will attend local seminars and national conferences involving clinical research, tobacco control, behavioral medicine, and health communication and will meet regularly with an outstanding cohort of talented mentors and advisors. Research Project. Media literacy is powerful tool with potential to decrease adolescent smoking initiation. The research project aims: 1) To develop a reliable, valid measure of smoking media literacy (SML) for adolescents; 2) To determine the relationship between SML and smoking; and 3) To pilot test an anti-tobacco SML intervention in a population of adolescents. Aim 1 will be achieved in years 1 and 2 with scale development activities, administration to a development sample of 525 students, and factor analysis. Aim 2 will be achieved in year 3 via a cross-sectional study involving 525 students, during which associations will be sought between SML scores, current smoking behavior, and markers of future smoking such as intention to smoke and smoking attitudes. Aim 3 will be achieved in years 4-5 via the pilot testing of a media literacy curriculum developed as part of the career plan in years 2-3. The candidate will emerge in five years with the skills and background necessary to implement and evaluate the intervention on a large scale via an R01 (to be secured in year 4).