Date of Award

8-1-1995

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Health, Physical Education and Recreation

First Advisor

Dr. David Corbin

Second Advisor

Dr. Richard Stacy

Third Advisor

Dr. Jeremy Lipschultz

Fourth Advisor

Frank Hartranft

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which alcohol and tobacco billboard advertising and vendors are differentially targeted toward African American, Hispanic, White, and/or poor census tracts in the city of Omaha, Nebraska. Using census tract data, differences between tobacco and alcohol billboard advertising found in African American, Hispanic, and White census tracts were analyzed. Differences between high and low income neighborhoods billboard advertising of tobacco and alcohol products were also analyzed. In addition, the content of all tobacco and alcohol billboard advertisements in Omaha was summarized. Tobacco and alcohol vendor information was analyzed in the same way as the billboard advertisements. The data revealed the following conclusions. (1) African American census tracts had the highest rates of tobacco and alcohol billboards per 1,000 people, followed by Hispanic census tracts, while White census tracts had the lowest rates of tobacco and alcohol billboards per 1,000 people. (2) Low income census tracts had greater rates of tobacco and alcohol billboard advertisements per 1,000 people than high income census tracts. (3) Hispanic census tracts had the highest rates of tobacco and alcohol vendors per 1,000 people, followed by African American census tracts, while White census tracts had the lowest rates of tobacco and alcohol vendors per 1,000 people. (4) Low income census tracts had greater rates of tobacco vendors per 1,000 people than high income census tracts. High income census tracts had greater rates of alcohol vendors per 1,000 people than low income census tracts. (5) Billboard advertising in African American and Hispanic census tracts did not contain more racial/ethnic-specific language and models than White census tracts. (6) The trends in tobacco and alcohol billboard advertising in Omaha, Nebraska included very few models in the ads, cigarettes were the only type of tobacco advertised, a large amount of low cost cigarettes were advertised, beer advertising dominated the alcohol product advertising, no malt liquor was advertised, and tobacco and alcohol advertisements were found on 11.7% of all billboards.

Comments

A Thesis Presented to the School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation and the Faculty of the Graduate College University of Nebraska In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science University of Nebraska at Omaha. Copyright James R. Burmeister II August, 1995

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