Development of the FDA Tobacco Credibility Scale (FDA-TCS)

Overview

Journal Tob Regul Sci

Date 2017 Jun 23

PMID 28638857

Citations 5

Authors

Allison M Schmidt

Leah M Ranney

Seth M Noar

Adam O Goldstein

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: Messages from organizations with high, compared to low, credibility may be more persuasive. Whereas the tobacco industry has long recognized the importance of credibility in promoting its messages and public image, the source credibility of key tobacco control organizations has gone largely unmeasured. To assess credibility of a key tobacco regulator, we developed a scale of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) tobacco-related credibility.

Methods: We developed and tested 30 items reflective of the dimensions of source credibility (trust, expertise, and public interest) and FDA's tobacco regulatory roles in a sample of 1353 US adults and assessed reliability and validity.

Results: Factor analysis identified 3 dimensions of the FDA Tobacco Credibility Scale (FDA-TCS): public interest, trust, and expertise. The 3 subscales showed evidence of reliability and convergent validity; all subscales were correlated with general FDA credibility and trust in government. Those who knew that the FDA regulates tobacco scored higher on the trust and expertise subscales. The subscales were also associated with support for potential regulations, suggesting criterion-related validity.

Conclusions: The FDA-TCS allows for an understanding of the impact of credibility on responses to the FDA's tobacco control communications and regulatory efforts.

Citing Articles

The associations between the credibility of the tobacco control regulatory body and smoking behavior change among Saudi smokers.

Alanazi A, Monshi S, Alfahadi N, Alsayari S, Alkhonain F, Alsulami N Tob Induc Dis. 2022; 20:107.

PMID: 36514796 PMC: 9717579. DOI: 10.18332/tid/155814.

"Who's Really Regulating? Who's Benefiting?" Exploring Black Stakeholders' Awareness and Trust in the Food and Drug Administration's Role as a Tobacco Regulator.

Smiley S, Blackman K, Bluthenthal R, Rodriguez Y, Barahona R, Sussman S Tob Regul Sci. 2019; 4(4):41-49.

PMID: 31440525 PMC: 6705425. DOI: 10.18001/TRS.4.4.5.

Information to Improve Public Perceptions of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA's) Tobacco Regulatory Role.

Osman A, Kowitt S, Sheeran P, Jarman K, Ranney L, Goldstein A Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018; 15(4).

PMID: 29661991 PMC: 5923795. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph15040753.

Public Knowledge and Credibility Perceptions of the FDA as a Tobacco Regulator.

Schmidt A, Jarman K, Ranney L, Queen T, Noar S, Ruel L Nicotine Tob Res. 2017; 20(11):1310-1316.

PMID: 29059369 PMC: 6154977. DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntx215.

Cigarette Constituent Health Communications for Smokers: Impact of Chemical, Imagery, and Source.

Kowitt S, Sheeran P, Jarman K, Ranney L, Schmidt A, Noar S Nicotine Tob Res. 2017; 21(6):841-845.

PMID: 29059359 PMC: 6528144. DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntx226.

References

Schmidt A, Ranney L, Goldstein A . Communicating program outcomes to encourage policymaker support for evidence-based state tobacco control. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2014; 11(12):12562-74. PMC: 4276631. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph111212562. View

Smith E, Malone R . Altria means tobacco: Philip Morris's identity crisis. Am J Public Health. 2003; 93(4):553-6. PMC: 1447789. DOI: 10.2105/ajph.93.4.553. View

Streiner D, Kottner J . Recommendations for reporting the results of studies of instrument and scale development and testing. J Adv Nurs. 2014; 70(9):1970-1979. DOI: 10.1111/jan.12402. View

McComas K, Trumbo C . Source credibility in environmental health-risk controversies: application of Meyer's credibility index. Risk Anal. 2001; 21(3):467-80. DOI: 10.1111/0272-4332.213126. View

McDaniel P, Malone R . Creating the "desired mindset": Philip Morris's efforts to improve its corporate image among women. Women Health. 2009; 49(5):441-74. PMC: 2791497. DOI: 10.1080/03630240903238800. View

Byrne S, Guillory J, Mathios A, Avery R, Hart P . The unintended consequences of disclosure: effect of manipulating sponsor identification on the perceived credibility and effectiveness of smoking cessation advertisements. J Health Commun. 2012; 17(10):1119-37. DOI: 10.1080/10810730.2012.665425. View

Pearson J, Abrams D, Niaura R, Richardson A, Vallone D . A ban on menthol cigarettes: impact on public opinion and smokers' intention to quit. Am J Public Health. 2012; 102(11):e107-14. PMC: 3474368. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2012.300804. View

Fix B, OConnor R, Fong G, Borland R, Cummings K, Hyland A . Smokers' reactions to FDA regulation of tobacco products: findings from the 2009 ITC United States survey. BMC Public Health. 2011; 11:941. PMC: 3260261. DOI: 10.1186/1471-2458-11-941. View

Yerger V, Malone R . African American leadership groups: smoking with the enemy. Tob Control. 2002; 11(4):336-45. PMC: 1747674. DOI: 10.1136/tc.11.4.336. View

10.

Kaufman A, Finney Rutten L, Parascandola M, Blake K, Augustson E . Food and Drug Administration tobacco regulation and product judgments. Am J Prev Med. 2015; 48(4):445-51. PMC: 4642862. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2014.10.026. View

11.

Malone R, Bero L . Chasing the dollar: why scientists should decline tobacco industry funding. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2003; 57(8):546-8. PMC: 1732548. DOI: 10.1136/jech.57.8.546. View

12.

Tesler L, Malone R . Corporate philanthropy, lobbying, and public health policy. Am J Public Health. 2008; 98(12):2123-33. PMC: 2636524. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2007.128231. View

13.

Amir O, Rand D, Gal Y . Economic games on the internet: the effect of $1 stakes. PLoS One. 2012; 7(2):e31461. PMC: 3283743. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031461. View

14.

Schmidt A, Ranney L, Pepper J, Goldstein A . Source Credibility in Tobacco Control Messaging. Tob Regul Sci. 2016; 2(1):31-37. PMC: 4981485. DOI: 10.18001/TRS.2.1.3. View

15.

Goldstein A, Cohen J, Flynn B, Gottlieb N, Solomon L, Dana G . State legislators' attitudes and voting intentions toward tobacco control legislation. Am J Public Health. 1997; 87(7):1197-200. PMC: 1380896. DOI: 10.2105/ajph.87.7.1197. View