Investigating the scope of tobacco industry direct mail and its impact on smoking

描述(由申请人提供)：烟草行业直邮的范围和影响，作为一种经常使用的行业营销策略，到目前为止得到了烟草控制部门的有限关注和研究。这一领域的研究一直受到以下因素的阻碍：直接邮件作为一种非公共营销来源的本质，可见性有限，难以直接观察其对接受者吸烟行为的影响，以及缺乏现有数据来确定其规模和重要性。作为一种直接面向消费者的营销技术，直邮直接到达该行业广泛邮件名单上的那些人的家中，因此在很大程度上是在公众看不到的情况下进行的，并在烟草控制、公共卫生和监管机构的雷达下进行。直接邮寄及其携带的激励措施(如优惠券、礼物)对吸烟行为的影响也不容易观察到。到目前为止，还没有全国性的数据，旨在确定其在烟草使用行为中的作用的研究几乎不存在。该提案响应了NIH计划公告PA-09-130，并描述了一项计划，以解决关于直邮营销的流行及其对烟草行为的影响的知识库中的空白。因此，我们将：1)领导焦点小组，了解吸烟者对烟草行业的看法，以便为调查进展提供信息；2)开发和完善调查工具，该工具将进行认知测试，以评估对直接邮件的参与及其对吸烟行为的潜在影响；3)对成年吸烟者进行具有代表性的人群网络调查，以确定直接邮件的普及率并了解其对吸烟行为的影响；以及4)根据收集的定性和定量数据的分析，确定可能的干预领域和/或具体的对策，以解决直接邮件对烟草使用行为的影响。因此，这项拟议的研究的意义在于它有可能更好地理解直接邮件以及收件人如何看待它，这对于告知和指导反营销策略至关重要。这些知识将有助于进一步研究和采取行动对抗烟草行业直邮的影响的证据基础。 公共卫生相关性：本研究项目的目的是更好地了解烟草行业直邮营销的范围及其对吸烟者的影响。拟议的研究与公共卫生的相关性在于，它有能力解决直接邮寄知识方面的重要差距，以及收件人如何看待直邮，这对于告知和指导反营销战略至关重要。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The scope and impact of tobacco industry direct mail, a frequently utilized industry marketing strategy, has thus far received limited attention and research from tobacco control. Research in this area has been hampered by the very nature of direct mail as a non-public source of marketing with limited visibility, the difficulty of directly observing its influence on receivers' smoking behaviors, and by the lack of existing data establishing its magnitude and importance. As a direct-to-consumer marketing technique, direct mail goes straight to the homes of those on the industry's extensive mailing lists and so operates largely out of the sight of the general public and under the radar of tobacco control, public health, and regulatory agencies. Nor is the influence of direct mail and the incentives it carries (e.g., coupons, gifts) on smoking behavior easily observed. To date, no national-level data are available and research aimed at establishing its role in tobacco use behavior has been almost nonexistent. This proposal responds to NIH Program Announcement, PA-09-130 and describes a plan to address gaps in the knowledge base regarding prevalence of direct mail marketing and its influence on tobacco behaviors. Accordingly, we will: 1) conduct focus groups to understand smokers' perceptions of tobacco industry direct mail to inform survey development, 2) develop and refine a survey instrument, which will undergo conduct cognitive testing, to assess participation in direct mail and its potential impact on smoking behavior, 3) conduct a nationally representative population-based web survey of adult cigarette smokers to determine the prevalence of direct mail receipt and understand its impact on smoking behavior, and 4) identify areas of possible intervention and/or specific counter strategies to address the influence of direct mail on tobacco use behavior based on the analysis of qualitative and quantitative data collected. Thus, the significance of this proposed research is its potential to generate a better understanding of direct mail and how it is perceived by its recipients which is vital to informing and directing counter marketing strategies. This knowledge will contribute to the evidence base for further research and initiatives to counter the influence of tobacco industry direct mail. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The purpose of this research project is to better understand the scope of tobacco industry direct mail marketing and its impact on smokers. The relevance of the proposed research to public health is its ability to address important gaps in knowledge of direct mail and how it is perceived by its recipients which is vital to informing and directing counter marketing strategies.