Author: stanwick.10

‘Authentic’ or ‘corny’: LGBTQ+ young adults respond to visual, thematic and semantic elements of culturally targeted tobacco public education advertisements

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Abstract: 

Background Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) young adults (YA) experience disparities in nicotine and tobacco use. Mass-reach health communications can prevent nicotine and tobacco initiation and progression, but LGBTQ+adults report low engagement. Although cultural targeting (CT) could reach LGBTQ+YA, we know little about the strategies that resonate with this population. We probed how LGBTQ+YA perceived CT content to inform tobacco public education campaigns on strategies to engage this population.

Methods We conducted six focus groups with N=20 LGBTQ+YA (18–35) who had ever used vapes, cigarettes or both. We showed participants examples of CT tobacco public education campaigns, probed their opinions and perceptions and coded transcripts using a data-driven inductive approach.

Results Participants were more inclined to view an ad as effective when they felt it was authentically created for the LGBTQ+community. Avoiding stereotyping, including diversity, using ’subtle’ LGBTQ+iconography (ie, rainbows), and including personal experiences all contributed to the authenticity of the ad. Participants discussed the importance of visual appeal; bright colours made ads appear too corporate or like an ad for a tobacco product. Lastly, participants responded well to gain-framed messages rather than traditional risk messaging.

Conclusion Tobacco public education ads featuring ’every-day’ LGBTQ+people in candid or unposed shots, personal stories with gain-framed messaging, and subtle Pride iconography and colours may increase acceptability among LGBTQ+YA. Researchers should focus on cultivating authenticity in ads and avoid outdated trends by consulting with the community and moving with speed from development to implementation.

Full Citation:

Ennis, A. C., Meadows, A., Jankowski, E., Miller, C., Curran, H., Elson, E., Galusha, S., Turk, G., Stanwick, M., & Patterson, J. G. (2024). ‘Authentic’ or ‘corny’: LGBTQ+ young adults respond to visual, thematic and semantic elements of culturally targeted tobacco public education advertisements. Tobacco Control, tc-2024-058858. https://doi.org/10.1136/tc-2024-058858

Link to full paper

Meet the Lab – Ella Anderson

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Ella Anderson (she/her)

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Second Year Public Health – Environmental Public Health Major

I am from Cincinnati, Ohio. I am interested in disparities in the burden of disease, specifically cancer, across different communities and demographic groups.  

What drew you to a public health education?

I first became aware of health disparities through learning about the inequality of climate change effects across different socioeconomic groups. From there, I became extremely interested in public health and how I was able to combine my passion for social justice, the environment, and health into a field of study. 

What are your goals for the future?

I plan on getting my MPH in Epidemiology, and I hope to go onto work in disease prevention. I would like to for an organization like the CDC or a major hospital and work to reduce the burden of disease in communities.  

How do you spend your time outside of academia?

Outside of academia, I love running, going to concerts, and going to Ohio State football games! 

Meet the Lab – Khya Smith

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Khya Smith (she/her)

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Third Year Public Health Sociology Major, Business Minor

I am originally from Chicago Illinois, and my public health interests stem from the extreme inequities that I often notice in our nation’s health and healthcare systems. 

What drew you to a public health education?

I have always known that I wanted to go into the healthcare field as I have seen the ways that it has impacted my family. I chose public health as I began to see all of the shortcomings in the healthcare system that have cost people their lives. Ever since seeing the way that the healthcare system has impacted my family in both negative and positive ways, it has been my goal to make to close the disparity gap. I believe that everyone deserves quality healthcare and through my education experience my eyes have been opened to so many different avenues to ensure that goal. 

What are your goals for the future?

As of right now I plan to get my master’s in health or business administration and hopefully go into hospital management. I personally have been let down by many doctors’ offices and hospital visits and I would love to be a part of making that experience better for people. This is something I am extremely passionate about and I look forward to learning more about how I can do that for so many different people.

How do you spend your time outside of academia?

I am a big sports fan and love cheering for the Chicago Bulls and Bears. Additionally, after doing gymnastics most of my life I am a huge college gymnastics fan and am sure to never miss a meet. I also love to spend time with family and friends playing board games and watching reality TV shows. 

Meet the Lab – Nina Wolf

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Nina Wolf (she/her)

Graduate Research Associate, MFA candidate in Design Research and Development (second year), Graduate Minor in Public Health Behavior and Promotion

I grew up in Akron, Ohio, and earned my BFA in Communications Design with a minor in Sustainability Studies from Pratt Institute in 2023. My interest lies in exploring the intersection of design and public health, seeking how design can be leveraged in addressing public health challenges.

What are your goals for the future?

I’d love to work as a user experience researcher in public health or healthcare and eventually also teach as a design professor. No matter where I end up though, my main goal is to do work that helps others in a meaningful way—that’s what gives me a sense of purpose!

How do you spend your time outside of academia?

Outside of academia, I recharge by spending time with loved ones, catching up on the latest sci-fi movies and music biopics (Rocketman is a favorite!), listening to investigative podcasts (I’m currently into one called Hysterical), and playing pickleball. Recently, I’ve also been trying to get back into hiking!

Meet the Lab – Cherod Bowens

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Cherod Bowens (he/him)

Research Assistant, Undergraduate Neuroscience Major, 2026

I’m a Columbus native with a primary interest in community and environmental health. I am working as a researcher on Greater Columbus INSIGHT; I am thrilled to deliver our findings back to our communities and continue to make space for marginalized voices to be uplifted in research.

 

What drew you to a public health education?

I was drawn to public health education through Joanne’s course, Role of Behavior in Public Health. As a behavioral neuroscience student, I was drawn to the ways that human behavior and choice access informs generations of people, not only through how we develop but also how our communities can thrive when given a fair chance. Throughout this course we addressed many different determinants of health with a focus on how they developed and also the possible ways that we can shift their prevalence in others’ lives. Being in a public health centered environment not only opened my eyes to the world of public health education but also equipped me with the tools to become an active changemaker within it.

What makes you passionate about addressing health disparities in your research?

The thing that makes me the most passionate about addressing health disparities in our research is the reality that so many people exist within systems that have been built up to disenfranchise and displace them. Having witnessed this firsthand and the ways to mitigate these risks, I have made an intentional effort to be a part of the mending process of communities and that is exactly what our research does. Through our research we do the necessary work to best ensure that all people are heard and have equitable access to the resources that their communities deserve.

What are your goals for the future?

I hope to graduate with my bachelor’s and go on to pursue my MPH and JD in health policy law.

How do you spend your time outside of academia?

Outside of academia, I am an Adult Ally with the Franklin County Youth Council which focuses on best practices to better teen mental health and provide mutual aid throughout Franklin County. Additionally, I love playing chess, running, and listening to Clairo.

Dr. Patterson featured in PHPod episode “The Lavender Haze: Enabling a Healthy Queer Future”

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Dr. Patterson was featured on the PHPod podcast in an episde entitled “The Lavender Haze: Enabling a Healthy Queer Future.” In this episode of PHPod, host Abby Varker speaks with experts about the current health landscape that queer youth and young adults are facing in the U.S., touching on gender-affirming care, minor consent laws, substance use, and harm reduction techniques. They also discuss the possible strategies to enable LGBTQ+ people to live healthier lives in the future. Listen here, or wherever you get your podcasts!

“Minority stressors and tobacco use among a US sample of sexual and gender minority young adults” – new research led by Dr. Wilson Figueroa

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In this new paper published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, the relationship between minority stress and current tobacco use is examined amongst LGBTQ+ young adults. Major findings include trans young adults experiencing the highest levels of both general and minority stress, and increased odds of current tobacco use among trans young adults as minority stress increases. This study has implications for policy related to creating safe spaces for trans young adults to reduce minority stress, and also for tailored interventions that consider minority stress as a factor related to tobacco use.

Check out the full article here.

Authors: Wilson Figueroa; Emma Jankowski; Hayley Curran; Alysha C. Ennis; Tonia Poteat; Ethan Morgan; Elizabeth Klein; Rin Reczek; and Joanne G. Patterson