Meghan Bridgid Moran
Biographic Data
| ID | 6652703 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Meghan Bridgid Moran |
| GIVEN NAMES | Meghan Bridgid |
| FAMILY NAME | Moran |
| SIGNATURE | MORAN M B |
| AFFILIATIONS | Johns Hopkins University |
| ORCID | 0000-0001-6745-6668 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 34 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 15 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 34 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2011 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Youth Appeal in Tobacco Advertising: Evolving Tactics Targeting Those Under the Legal Age of Sale
INTRODUCTION: Youth under the legal age of sale for tobacco (18-20 years old) remain highly receptive to tobacco advertising despite existing regulations intended to prevent use. Emerging marketing tactics-such as influencer partnerships and lifestyle-oriented messaging-may increase appeal among young audiences. This study explored which advertising features are most associated with ad receptivity among this age group. METHODS: In 2023, 960 U.S. …
Natural, #Vegan, #Healing: A Content Analysis of Health Content Among Instagram Posts Focused on Cannabis Edibles
BACKGROUND: Despite limited scientific evidence, public perceptions of cannabis as health enhancing are significant. As food products, cannabis edibles (edibles), may also leverage food-related associations that convey health. Social media is a prominent and influential source of largely unregulated cannabis information and a potential place to correct misinformation. Given its potential to shape product appeal and perceptions of health benefits …
Youth Appeal in Tobacco Advertising: A Closer Look at What Resonates With Young Adults Ages 18–20
INTRODUCTION: Tobacco companies invest heavily in marketing, which significantly impacts youth tobacco use through advertising receptivity. Despite policies restricting tobacco marketing to youth under age 21, many adolescents and young adults nonetheless report finding tobacco marketing appealing. This analysis aimed to identify which advertising strategies most appeal to young adults ages 18-20. METHODS: In 2021, 740 U.S. participants aged 18-2…
Exploring the role ofculture and cognitive heuristics in assessing the credibility of cancer (mis)information on Facebook among U.S. Latinos/as
As health misinformation continues to permeate social media, it is of utmost importance to understand how credibility assessments are made among those most vulnerable to health inequities. Dual-processing models suggest that online credibility assessments are largely made through the use of cognitive heuristics. However, little is known about the role cultural identity plays in these assessments, particularly in light of health (mis)information e…
Product features for promoting top-selling cannabis vape products in an online retail environment
Smoking cessation message testing to inform app-based interventions for young adults – an online experiment
Distraction and acceptance messages received similar ratings among young adults who smoke cigarettes. Message revisions may be needed to increase appeal to women, SGM, those with lower education, and those less motivated to quit. Messages will be refined and used in an ongoing micro-randomized trial to investigate their real-time impact on smoking urges and behaviors
Nicotine analogue pouches: A growing regulatory challenge
Concurrent availability of cannabinoid and tobacco products in licensed tobacco retailers in three U.S. cities
This study identified a significant presence of cannabinoids in tobacco retailers across three U.S. cities with differing cannabis laws, with higher odds of being sold in stores selling e-cigarettes and cigars. Findings indicate an interconnected retail landscape for tobacco and cannabinoid products, highlighting a need for enhanced regulatory oversight and improved compliance with existing policies
Use of Brand Engagement Appeals in US Cigarette and E-Cigarettes Ads (2019–2020)
Background: The tobacco industry has historically used brand engagement – communication tactics companies use to increase customer attachment to a brand and brand loyalty – to recruit and retain consumers. Limited information is available to assess the brand engagement tactics used to promote the two most popular tobacco products in the US – cigarettes and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) – across different advertising platforms (e.g., direct…
A Descriptive Analysis of Beliefs About Nicotine and Switching to Noncombustibles Among Adults Who Smoke Cigarettes and Believe Nicotine Causes Cancer
Introduction: Many people who smoke cigarettes report believing that nicotine causes cancer, a misperception that may reduce interest in switching to noncombustible nicotine products. Quantitative survey questions do not capture how this population thinks about nicotine and switching to noncombustible products. Methods: This study used an online convenience sample of 193 US adults who smoke cigarettes and reported that nicotine causes cancer. Res…
Content analysis of marketing features in US nicotine pouch ads from 2021 to 2023
We observed a decline in terms of connecting nicotine pouches to other tobacco products and an increase in potentially youth-appealing convenience claims. Future research should investigate how these features impact risk perceptions and use intentions among people who never and currently use tobacco to inform regulations (ie, restrict youth-appealing claims)
Affiliate marketing for nicotine products: Juice Head ‘Share a Sale’ programme and its implications
Industry watchThis is particularly relevant for youth who may be attracted to Juice Head's appealing flavours and branding. 16Surveillance is needed to monitor tobacco brand affiliate programmes like Juice Head's, including on social media where sponsored pro-tobacco marketing from registered influencers is prevalent and may promote youth use, despite being prohibited by platforms like Instagram and TikTok. 23 24Comprehensive surveillance efforts…
Behavioral and psychosocial factors associated with Covid-19 skepticism in the United States
When Engagement Leads to Action: Understanding the Impact of Cancer (Mis)information among Latino/a Facebook Users
Latinos/as - the largest minority group in the U.S. - are avid Facebook users, making this an opportune tool to educate on the uptake of cancer prevention and screening behaviors. However, there is a dearth in scholarship exploring how Latinos/as engage with and act upon health content encountered on social media, which may be influenced by cultural values. This qualitatively-driven, mixed-methods study explores how Latinos/as engage with and act…
Disparities in self-reported exposure to tobacco marketing among youth and young adults from low-socioeconomic status neighbourhoods in Mexico City
Exposure to tobacco marketing is positively associated with smoking initiation and behaviours. There is limited literature examining disparities among reported exposure in low- and middle-income countries. This study sought to fill this gap with a survey among 1427 adolescents and 889 adult smokers in Mexico City in 2020. Data were analysed using chi-square and hierarchical regression models. Two-thirds of adolescents noticed cigarette pack displ…
Colours, capsules and concept flavour names on cigarette packs appeal to youth in Mexico
Colours and flavour capsule images appeal to adolescents and adults in Mexico. Mexico should consider adopting plain packaging to reduce appeal and interest
Noticing people, discounts and non-tobacco flavours in e-cigarette ads may increase e-cigarette product appeal among non-tobacco-using young adults
Attention to several e-cigarette ad features (eg, people, discounts, non-tobacco flavours) was associated with increased e-cigarette product appeal, whereas attention to nicotine warnings and smoking cessation claims was associated with reduced appeal among non-tobacco-using young adults. Restricting appeal-promoting features while strengthening the effects of nicotine warnings and smoker-targeted claims in e-cigarette ads may potentially reduce …
“Tobacco and Water”: Testing the Health Halo Effect of Natural American Spirit Cigarette Ads and Its Relationship with Perceived Absolute Harm and Use Intentions
In 2015, the FDA formally warned Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company that their "natural" and "additive-free" claims for its Natural American Spirit cigarettes conveyed reduced harm to consumers. In a settlement, Santa Fe was allowed to continue using the word "natural" in the brand name and the phrase "tobacco and water". The company also uses eco-friendly language and plant imagery and these tactics have also been shown to communicate reduced prod…
Natural American Spirit launches ‘Sky’, the brand’s first commercial organic cigarette with a charcoal filter
Natural American Spirit (NAS), a leading cigarette brand in the USA,1 markets its products using descriptors such as ‘organic’ and ‘tobacco & water’. Consumers believe that cigarettes with these and similar descriptors are more appealing, healthier and/or less harmful than cigarettes without these descriptors.2–11 Moreover, NAS advertising prominently features nature-related imagery, highlights the brand’s sustainable farming practices and exploi…
Targeted tobacco marketing in 2020: The case of #BlackLivesMatter
Help Save The Planet One Bidi Stick At A Time!’: Greenwashing disposable vapes
Bidi Stick is a single use electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) launched in 2020 by Bidi Vapor.1 Distributed and sold online and in retail stores in the USA,2 the brand’s popularity is growing, with Bidi Stick sales comprising 28% of the disposable e-cigarette market in the fourth quarter of 2020.1 3 In their recent campaign ‘Bidi Cares,’ Bidi Vapor presents their company as the industry leader in environmental consciousness, protection, and care. …
Household Rules regarding Cannabis Use and Tobacco Smoking in Denver Airbnb Venues
Cannabis legalization threatens to undermine clean indoor air norms. We investigated the prevalence and nature of tobacco and cannabis use rules in Airbnb venues in Denver, Colorado, where recreational cannabis was legalized in 2014. The study used publicly available Inside Airbnb data for all Denver listings (N = 4,511) collected on 06/29/2019. We analyzed reported tobacco smoking and cannabis use house rules. Tobacco smoking with or without con…
Ad Watch: ‘Unstoppable’ Vuse Alto TV Spot Closely Mirrors ‘Nicotine Addiction Checks’ on TikTok
A television (TV) advertisement launched in Spring 2020 for Reynolds American’s VUSE e-cigarette, titled ‘Unstoppable,’ features VUSE Alto devices undulating in colour-coordinated ribbons or waves around a neon-lit room (see figure 1).1 A hip-hop jingle accompanies the visuals with the chorus: ‘Unstoppable! Who us? YES! Passion, CHECK! Drive, CHECK! How much you gonna give? That’s a hundred percent. Gonna take it to the top, won’t settle for less…
Content analysis of online product descriptions from cannabis retailers in six US states
Contextualizing connectivity: How internet connection type and parental factors influence technology use among lower-income children
This project links research on digital inequality, which focuses on connection quality and its outcomes for under-connected individuals, and parental mediation, which focuses on the influence of parents on children’s technology experiences. We examine the internet connection type used by families, the technology experiences of lower-income parents, and their perceptions of opportunities that technology use offers their children. We then determine…
Comparing the Relative Efficacy of Narrative vs Nonnarrative Health Messages in Reducing Health Disparities Using a Randomized Trial
Objectives. We compared the relative efficacy of a fictional narrative film to a more traditional nonnarrative film in conveying the same health information. Methods. We used a random digit dial procedure to survey the cervical cancer-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of non-Hispanic White, Mexican American, and African American women, aged 25 to 45 years, living in Los Angeles, California, from 2011 to 2012. Participants (n = 704) were …
Connecting with technology in lower-income US families
Digital equity initiatives traditionally enable access to devices and Internet service, but increasingly, designers are also recognizing the importance of access to people and programs that support digital skills development. Families in under-served communities are most likely to need such supports but least likely to have them available. We explore the extent to which parents and children might serve as these sources of support for each other i…
Why Peer Crowds Matter: Incorporating Youth Subcultures and Values in Health Education Campaigns
Grounded on research showing that peer crowds vary in risk behavior, several recent health behavior interventions, including the US Food and Drug Administration’s Fresh Empire campaign, have targeted high-risk peer crowds. We establish the scientific foundations for using this approach. We introduce peer crowd targeting as a strategy for culturally targeting health behavior interventions to youths. We use social identity and social norms theory t…
Involved, Transported, or Emotional? Exploring the Determinants of Change in Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior in Entertainment-Education
This study examined how 3 constructs—involvement with a specific character, involvement with the narrative (Green and Brock's construct of transportation), and viewers' emotional reaction to the narrative—produce entertainment-education (EE) effects. A pretest/posttest survey of 167 regular viewers measured the effects of exposure to a lymphoma storyline on a television drama, Desperate Housewives. Transportation or involvement with the narrative…
Comparing the Relative Efficacy of Narrative vs Nonnarrative Health Messages in Reducing Health Disparities Using a Randomized Trial
Objectives. We compared the relative efficacy of a fictional narrative film to a more traditional nonnarrative film in conveying the same health information. Methods. We used a random digit dial procedure to survey the cervical cancer-related knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of non-Hispanic White, Mexican American, and African American women, aged 25 to 45 years, living in Los Angeles, California, from 2011 to 2012. Participants (n = 704) were …
Individual, Cultural and Structural Predictors of Vaccine Safety Confidence and Influenza Vaccination Among Hispanic Female Subgroups
Use of imagery and text that could convey reduced harm in American Spirit advertisements
American Spirit ads use a wide range of marketing techniques to convey a natural product image, which could subsequently communicate reduced harm
Connecting with technology in lower-income US families
Digital equity initiatives traditionally enable access to devices and Internet service, but increasingly, designers are also recognizing the importance of access to people and programs that support digital skills development. Families in under-served communities are most likely to need such supports but least likely to have them available. We explore the extent to which parents and children might serve as these sources of support for each other i…
The Relationship between Neighborhood Disorder, Social Networks, and Indoor Cigarette Smoking among Impoverished Inner-City Residents
Why Peer Crowds Matter: Incorporating Youth Subcultures and Values in Health Education Campaigns
Grounded on research showing that peer crowds vary in risk behavior, several recent health behavior interventions, including the US Food and Drug Administration’s Fresh Empire campaign, have targeted high-risk peer crowds. We establish the scientific foundations for using this approach. We introduce peer crowd targeting as a strategy for culturally targeting health behavior interventions to youths. We use social identity and social norms theory t…
Receipt of tobacco direct mail/email discount coupons and trajectories of cigarette smoking behaviours in a nationally representative longitudinal cohort of US adults
Tobacco direct mail/email coupons encourage and sustain smoking and disproportionately affect lower socioeconomic populations
Contextualizing connectivity: How internet connection type and parental factors influence technology use among lower-income children
This project links research on digital inequality, which focuses on connection quality and its outcomes for under-connected individuals, and parental mediation, which focuses on the influence of parents on children’s technology experiences. We examine the internet connection type used by families, the technology experiences of lower-income parents, and their perceptions of opportunities that technology use offers their children. We then determine…
Sources of Awareness of Juul E-cigarettes in 2 Surveys of Adults in the United States
Objectives: Since their introduction in 2015, JUUL e-cigarettes have gained >60% of the United States (US) 2018 retail market share among branded e-cigarette companies. The sources through which consumers learn about JUUL e-cigarettes is not known. Methods: We assessed the sources of awareness about JUUL through 2 cross-sectional surveys of US adults (Survey 1: 502 18-24 year-olds; Survey 2: 803 smokers age 18+). Primary measures were awareness o…
Ad Watch: ‘Unstoppable’ Vuse Alto TV Spot Closely Mirrors ‘Nicotine Addiction Checks’ on TikTok
A television (TV) advertisement launched in Spring 2020 for Reynolds American’s VUSE e-cigarette, titled ‘Unstoppable,’ features VUSE Alto devices undulating in colour-coordinated ribbons or waves around a neon-lit room (see figure 1).1 A hip-hop jingle accompanies the visuals with the chorus: ‘Unstoppable! Who us? YES! Passion, CHECK! Drive, CHECK! How much you gonna give? That’s a hundred percent. Gonna take it to the top, won’t settle for less…
Content analysis of online product descriptions from cannabis retailers in six US states
“Tobacco and Water”: Testing the Health Halo Effect of Natural American Spirit Cigarette Ads and Its Relationship with Perceived Absolute Harm and Use Intentions
In 2015, the FDA formally warned Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company that their "natural" and "additive-free" claims for its Natural American Spirit cigarettes conveyed reduced harm to consumers. In a settlement, Santa Fe was allowed to continue using the word "natural" in the brand name and the phrase "tobacco and water". The company also uses eco-friendly language and plant imagery and these tactics have also been shown to communicate reduced prod…
Natural American Spirit launches ‘Sky’, the brand’s first commercial organic cigarette with a charcoal filter
Natural American Spirit (NAS), a leading cigarette brand in the USA,1 markets its products using descriptors such as ‘organic’ and ‘tobacco & water’. Consumers believe that cigarettes with these and similar descriptors are more appealing, healthier and/or less harmful than cigarettes without these descriptors.2–11 Moreover, NAS advertising prominently features nature-related imagery, highlights the brand’s sustainable farming practices and exploi…
Targeted tobacco marketing in 2020: The case of #BlackLivesMatter
Help Save The Planet One Bidi Stick At A Time!’: Greenwashing disposable vapes
Bidi Stick is a single use electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) launched in 2020 by Bidi Vapor.1 Distributed and sold online and in retail stores in the USA,2 the brand’s popularity is growing, with Bidi Stick sales comprising 28% of the disposable e-cigarette market in the fourth quarter of 2020.1 3 In their recent campaign ‘Bidi Cares,’ Bidi Vapor presents their company as the industry leader in environmental consciousness, protection, and care. …
Household Rules regarding Cannabis Use and Tobacco Smoking in Denver Airbnb Venues
Cannabis legalization threatens to undermine clean indoor air norms. We investigated the prevalence and nature of tobacco and cannabis use rules in Airbnb venues in Denver, Colorado, where recreational cannabis was legalized in 2014. The study used publicly available Inside Airbnb data for all Denver listings (N = 4,511) collected on 06/29/2019. We analyzed reported tobacco smoking and cannabis use house rules. Tobacco smoking with or without con…
Behavioral and psychosocial factors associated with Covid-19 skepticism in the United States
When Engagement Leads to Action: Understanding the Impact of Cancer (Mis)information among Latino/a Facebook Users
Latinos/as - the largest minority group in the U.S. - are avid Facebook users, making this an opportune tool to educate on the uptake of cancer prevention and screening behaviors. However, there is a dearth in scholarship exploring how Latinos/as engage with and act upon health content encountered on social media, which may be influenced by cultural values. This qualitatively-driven, mixed-methods study explores how Latinos/as engage with and act…
Disparities in self-reported exposure to tobacco marketing among youth and young adults from low-socioeconomic status neighbourhoods in Mexico City
Exposure to tobacco marketing is positively associated with smoking initiation and behaviours. There is limited literature examining disparities among reported exposure in low- and middle-income countries. This study sought to fill this gap with a survey among 1427 adolescents and 889 adult smokers in Mexico City in 2020. Data were analysed using chi-square and hierarchical regression models. Two-thirds of adolescents noticed cigarette pack displ…
Colours, capsules and concept flavour names on cigarette packs appeal to youth in Mexico
Colours and flavour capsule images appeal to adolescents and adults in Mexico. Mexico should consider adopting plain packaging to reduce appeal and interest
Noticing people, discounts and non-tobacco flavours in e-cigarette ads may increase e-cigarette product appeal among non-tobacco-using young adults
Attention to several e-cigarette ad features (eg, people, discounts, non-tobacco flavours) was associated with increased e-cigarette product appeal, whereas attention to nicotine warnings and smoking cessation claims was associated with reduced appeal among non-tobacco-using young adults. Restricting appeal-promoting features while strengthening the effects of nicotine warnings and smoker-targeted claims in e-cigarette ads may potentially reduce …
Use of Brand Engagement Appeals in US Cigarette and E-Cigarettes Ads (2019–2020)
Background: The tobacco industry has historically used brand engagement – communication tactics companies use to increase customer attachment to a brand and brand loyalty – to recruit and retain consumers. Limited information is available to assess the brand engagement tactics used to promote the two most popular tobacco products in the US – cigarettes and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) – across different advertising platforms (e.g., direct…
A Descriptive Analysis of Beliefs About Nicotine and Switching to Noncombustibles Among Adults Who Smoke Cigarettes and Believe Nicotine Causes Cancer
Introduction: Many people who smoke cigarettes report believing that nicotine causes cancer, a misperception that may reduce interest in switching to noncombustible nicotine products. Quantitative survey questions do not capture how this population thinks about nicotine and switching to noncombustible products. Methods: This study used an online convenience sample of 193 US adults who smoke cigarettes and reported that nicotine causes cancer. Res…
Content analysis of marketing features in US nicotine pouch ads from 2021 to 2023
We observed a decline in terms of connecting nicotine pouches to other tobacco products and an increase in potentially youth-appealing convenience claims. Future research should investigate how these features impact risk perceptions and use intentions among people who never and currently use tobacco to inform regulations (ie, restrict youth-appealing claims)
Psychology (23 works) · Medicine (20 works) · Smoking Behavior and Cessation (20 works) · Business (17 works) · Advertising (16 works) · Social Psychology (14 works) · Environmental health (12 works) · Political science (12 works) · Psychiatry (11 works) · Computer Science (8 works)