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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/222275
Tobacco imagery in prime-time television in Spain: A content analysis
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INTRODUCTION Exposure to tobacco content in media among youth is a well-established risk factor for smoking initiation and continued use. This study assessed the prevalence and nature of tobacco imagery on Spanish prime-time television (TV) programming and its associations with program characteristics: genre, production nationality, and broadcast timing. METHODS A content analysis of 63959 minutes of TV programming in 2021, excluding advertisements and trailers, across 18 broadcast channels examined the presence of tobacco imagery: actual tobacco use, tobacco cultural cues, smoking ban violations, tobacco brand appearances, or any of these. RESULTS The analysis revealed that 2.4% of the TV programming time contained at least one instance of tobacco imagery, resulting in 8.5 million impressions for viewers aged 4-24 years. Feature films had the highest prevalence of tobacco-related content (adjusted prevalence ratio, APR=11.9; 95% CI: 9.5-14.9). Tobacco-related content appeared more frequently outside designated children's protection hours (PR=0.7; 95% CI: 0.6-0.80). However, its presence within the designated children's protection schedule remains a significant concern, generating 15.6 million tobacco impressions for young viewers. CONCLUSIONS The seemingly modest content level of tobacco imagery (2.4%) translates into a substantial number of impressions for young viewers aged 4-24 years, including during the designated children's protection schedule. Reducing tobacco imagery in films and TV series represents a promising strategy for curbing youth smoking. However, the current reliance on youth protection schedules is inadequate. To better protect children from tobacco imagery, policies should mandate strong anti-tobacco disclaimers preceding programs featuring tobacco and certificates of No Pay-off for tobacco portrayals.
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PERUGA URREA, Armando, et al. Tobacco imagery in prime-time television in Spain: A content analysis. Tobacco Induced Diseases. 2025. Vol. 23, num. 6, pags. 79. ISSN 1617-9625. [consulted: 10 of June of 2026]. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/222275