ABSTRACT
Advertising
has been identified as one of the factors that increase the likelihood of alcoholic
beverage consumption especially among the youth (Alcohol Concern, 2013).
Through the use of advertising execution techniques such as humour, celebrity
endorsement and music, advertisers are able to embed images that resonate with
vulnerable youths. In spite of the documented social and health repercussions
of alcohol consumption and little knowledge of warning sign among adults,
literature still show that the relationship between advertising warning signs
and alcohol consumption is an understudied area. The study examined the
attitude of Nigerian university undergraduates to the 18+ warning sign in
alcoholic beverage advertisements.
The
study adopted the survey research design. The target population of the study
was 195,000 undergraduates from nine selected universities in South-West,
Nigeria. Multi-stage sampling technique was used in the selection process.
Purposive sampling was used to select three states (Lagos, Ogun and Oyo), based
on concentration of universities in the states. The universities in the
selected states were stratified into Federal, State and Private. Three
universities were purposively selected from each state (one from each stratum).
Gay, Geoffrey and Peter’s formula was adopted to draw the sample size of 1,950
respondents who were proportionately distributed to the nine selected
universities. A validated questionnaire was used as the instrument. The
Cronbach’s Alpha coefficients for the constructs ranged from 0.735 to
0.945.Response rate was 95.7%. Data were analyzed using correlation and
regression analyses.
The
findings revealed that there was significant relationship between students’
awareness of the 18+ warning sign and their attitudes towards consumption
(r=0.242; p<0.05). There was significant positive relationship between
students’ recognition of the 18+ warning sign and attitudes towards consumption
(r=0.485; p<0.05). There was also a significant positive relationship
between students’ perception of the credibility of the 18+ warning sign and
attitudes towards consumption (r=0.664; p<0.05). It was found that the 18+
sign significantly influenced attitudes of the underage towards consumption (R2=0.494;
p<0.05). Demographic variables significantly influenced the attitudes of
undergraduates towards the 18+ warning sign (R2=0.017; p<0.05).
The
study concluded that the 18+ warning sign in alcoholic beverage advertisements
discouraged undergraduates’ consumption of alcoholic beverages. The study
recommended that advertisers, as sponsors of the promotional messages that
promote alcohol consumption, should intensify the use of the 18+ warning sign
and other warning labels for the purpose of being socially responsible. Also
advertising relevant agencies in line with existing regulations should
intensify efforts at monitoring the content of advertisements to ensure
compliance with set standards.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
Alcohol is
perhaps the most commonly used drug among adolescents. It is a ubiquitous toxin
and the excess consumption of it can harm almost any organ or system of the
body (Anderson, 2007). Alcohol consumption carries a risk of adverse health and
social consequences as a result of drunkenness; it is responsible for a range
of social, health and economic harms which tend to be most pronounced among the
youths (Australian Medical Association, 2012). The harms caused by excessive
alcohol consumption as highlighted by Chikere and Mayowa (2011) includes
worldwide disease of esophageal cancer, liver cancer, homicide, epilepsy,
cirrhosis of the liver and so on.
Alcohol
consumption in the past decades was basically used at ceremonies for
entertainment, but in Nigeria today, the quantity and reason for consumption
are rapidly changing (Chikere & Mayowa, 2011). The new trend of alcohol
consumption among young people in Nigeria today contributes to Nigeria’s
ranking among thirty countries with highest per capita consumption of alcohol
globally (World Health Organization, 2004). The quantity of consumption by the
Nigerian youths is what seem to result in an increased burden of
alcohol-related problems such as addiction, poor academic performance, risky
driving, health issues, to mention a few (Dumbili, 2013). Despite the effort to
prevent underage alcohol consumption, it is still a persistent public health
problem (Komro & Toomey, 2002).
The role of
advertising as a possible stimulus to alcohol consumption and as a contributor
to the abuse of alcohol has in recent years been controverted because
advertising has been associated with underage purchase and consumption of
alcohol (Nelson, 2001). Arens (2006) defined advertising as “a structured and
composed non-personal communication of information usually paid for and usually
persuasive in nature about products (good, services and ideas) by identified
sponsors, through various media” (p. 7). Advertising creates the impression
that, for a relatively small expenditure, young people can psychologically
connect to positive fantasy places, lifestyle and personality characteristics
it portrays. Advertising is one potential source of information for young
people about the cost of alcohol and its benefits and information supplied by advertising
can result in more positive expectancies about alcohol, which can change actual
or intended consumption behavior (Saffer, 2002).
The effect of
alcohol advertising can be found in the effect of alcohol consumption behavior
of adolescents. Alcohol advertisements become attractive to young people in
early adolescence, between the ages of ten (10) and fourteen (14). However,
exposure to alcohol advertising increases the likelihood that an adolescent
will start consuming alcohol and if such adolescent has already been consuming
alcohol, there are chances that consumption will increase (Bouwmeester, n.d;
Jones & Gordon, 2013). Alcohol advertisements are seen by youths on
different communication media, but television advertising seems to be the most
powerful means of marketing alcohol because children and youths spend more time
watching television than using any other type of media. (Australian Medical
Association, 2012). Radio advertising and product placement in television
programmeming provide additional avenues for promoting alcoholic beverages
(Australian Medical Association, 2012). Children have been found to identify
alcohol advertisements as the ones they like most among the advertisements to
which they have been exposed, and their liking of alcohol advertisements has
been linked to alcohol consumption among the youth (Gunter, Hansen and Touri,
2008). This was further re-affirmed in the statement of Anderson (2007) which
states thus:
The adolescent brain undergoes
major development, which makes adolescents more vulnerable to impulsivity with
greater sensitivity to pleasure and reward. Young people who already have
problems related to alcohol are likely to be particularly vulnerable to alcohol
advertising, with the vulnerability increasing with increasing alcohol
consumption. Alcohol advertising manipulates adolescents’ vulnerability by
shaping their attitude, perceptions and particularly expectances about alcohol
use, which then influence youth decisions to drink. This vulnerability is
exacerbated by the enormous exposure to commercial communications, not only
through traditional media, which are highly targeted to young people (p. 10).
Young people are
at risk of alcohol related harm as a result of their body size and lack of
experience with alcohol. The greater the amount of alcohol consumed during
adolescence, the greater the risk as a young adult (Anderson, 2007). Majority
of the advertisements of alcohol on television, newspapers and magazines and
even on billboards have the 18+ sign and this implies that alcohol consumption
is for people of eighteen (18) years and above. There are empirical evidences
that there is a relationship between alcohol advertisements and positive
attitude towards alcohol among young people, based on the appealing nature of
alcohol advertisements to them. Saffer (2002) concludes that alcohol
advertising affects knowledge, attitude and intentions to drink which is
believed to affect drinking and there is therefore, a conclusion that there is
positive link between alcohol advertising and alcohol consumption.
Grube (2004)
suggests that a large number of alcohol advertisements link drinking with
valued personal attributes such as elegance, sociability, physical
attractiveness and also with desirable outcomes which includes success,
pleasure, relaxation, romance and adventure. Young people find alcohol
advertisements with these attributes appealing and they are attracted to them.
Due to the appeals, the content of advertisements is related to expectancies
about the use of alcohol among the young ones. There is however, considerable
evidence that some particular alcohol brands that appeal to the young ones are
created and targeted at young people (Anderson, 2007). There is also evidence
that cultural myths and symbols used in alcohol advertisements have powerful
meanings for college students (Anderson, 2007). There are some elements that
youths are attracted to, they are particularly drawn to elements of music,
story, characters and humour (Anderson, 2007).
Varied responses
can be exhibited by young people to alcohol advertising and these responses
perhaps include awareness, perception, recognition and restraint. Attitude
towards advertisements and perceptions of their messages can sometimes
represent important variables which can mediate post-exposure influence of
advertisements. Alcohol advertisements and the brands they promote may be
noticed and recognized by young adults even long before they start drinking
alcoholic beverages (Gunter et al., 2008). There is a concern that exposure of
young people to alcohol advertisements could create favourable dispositions
towards drinking and could also play a part in triggering early onset of
alcohol consumption. There is however, a relationship between alcohol
advertising and the onset or initiation of alcohol consumption among young
adults. Alcohol advertising shapes the attitude, perceptions and expectancies
around alcohol use which results in youth decisions to drink (Gunter et al.,
2008; Chen, Grube Bersamin, Waiters & Keefe, 2005).
In Nigeria,
advertising practice is guided by the statutory regulating body known as
Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON). The provisions in the
advertising code of ethics cover electronic, print, outdoor media and even
cinemas / viewing centers. This code of conduct is provided under Article 32-37
of the 5th code of the advertising practice. According to these
articles, advertising of alcoholic beverages shall not be exposed in children’s
religious and sport programmes, children, sportsmen / women shall not be used
as models, it shall not employ religious or medical suggestions or
connotations, shall not be sited within a radius of 200 metres from the nearest
perimeter fence of any place of worship, hospitals, schools or motor parks
(APCON, 2012).
Despite the
efforts of APCON to regulate drinking among the youths and the underage,
alcohol advertisements still seem to be appealing to the youths and even to be
targeted at them. High levels of brand recognition among the youths and the
underage illustrates the weakness of this current regulation because most of
these young ones are exposed to alcohol advertising on the internet which could
bring about difficulty in preventing underage exposure to alcohol advertising
(Alcohol Concern, 2013). With the rate at which things are going which might
later result in the total ban of alcohol advertising, alcohol industries, came
up with an industry-based regulation which is the 18+ sign, in order to prevent
underage drinking. The 18+ sign, implies that alcohol consumption is for people
that are eighteen (18) years and above. In the light of this, this study seeks
to investigate the attitude of university undergraduates in Southwestern
Nigeria to the 18+ sign in alcoholic beverage advertisements.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
Despite
regulations to protect the youth and underage from alcohol advertising, they
are still regularly exposed to high level of alcohol advertising, young people
are exposed to alcohol advertisements on television, radio, internet and in
print media, whether they are targeted by advertisers or not (Smith and
Foxcroft, 2009). The use of alcohol among the youths and the underage has been
a major public health concern because drinking among these youths can result in
a number of negative consequences such as alcohol addiction, accidents, poor
academic performance, risky sex, injuries and even untimely death. It is has
been observed that the earlier the age young people start to drink and the more
they drink at a young age, the more they are likely to become addict and suffer
alcohol related harm (Anderson, 2007).
Despite the fact
that advertisements of alcoholic beverages on television, print media and even
on billboards carry the 18+ sign which is supposed to serve as a deterrent to
the underage, most of these young adults do not seem to be aware of the sign.
Many young people start to drink at an earlier (Australian Medical Association,
2012). Another concern over alcohol advertising is the fact that advertising
has frequently associated alcohol consumption with themes such as fun,
friendship and humour. Much of these alcohol advertising goes beyond describing
the specific qualities of the alcoholic beverage to creating a glamorous and
pleasurable image that may be attractive and appealing to youths, even the
underage. The university undergraduates in Nigeria today are perhaps dominated
by the young adults and adolescents who should be educated on the adverse
effect of alcohol consumption on health and academic performance. The attitude
of these university undergraduates to the 18+ sign in these alcoholic beverages
(Trophy, 33 larger beer, Golgberg, Stout, Heinekens and so on) advertisements
were what constituted the focus of this study.
1.3 Objective of the Study
The
main objective of this study is to ascertain the attitude of university
undergraduates to the 18+ warning sign in alcoholic beverage advertisements.
The specific objectives are to:
1.
determine the
relationship between awareness of the 18+ warning sign and the attitude of
university undergraduates towards alcoholic beverage consumption;
2.
analyze the
relationship between the recognition of the 18+ warning sign and the attitude
of university undergraduates towards alcoholic beverage consumption;
3.
determine the
relationship between the perception of the credibility of the 18+ warning sign
and the attitude of university undergraduates towards alcoholic beverage
consumption;
4.
examine the
influence of the 18+ warning sign on alcohol beverage consumption among
underage university undergraduates and
5.
determine the
influence of demographic variables on the attitude of undergraduates towards
the 18+ warning sign.
1.4 Research Questions
1. What
is the relationship between awareness of the 18+ warning sign and the attitude
of
university undergraduates towards
alcoholic beverage consumption?
2.
Is there a relationship between recognition of the 18+ warning sign and the
attitude of
university undergraduates towards
alcoholic beverage consumption?
3. How
does perception of the credibility of the 18+ warning sign affect attitude of
university undergraduates towards
alcoholic beverage consumption?
4. To
what extent does the use of the 18+ warning sign in alcoholic beverage
advertisements influence alcohol beverage consumption among underage university
undergraduates?
5. To
what extent does demographic variables influence attitude of undergraduates
towards
the
18+ warning sign.
1.5 Hypotheses
The
following hypotheses were tested at 0.05 level of significance
H01: There is no significant relationship
between university undergraduates’ awareness of the 18+ warning sign and their
attitude towards alcoholic beverages consumption.
H02: There
is no significant relationship between university undergraduates’ recognition
of the 18+ warning sign and their attitude towards alcoholic beverages
consumption.
H03: There
is no significant relationship between university undergraduates’ perception of
the credibility of the 18+ warning sign and their attitude towards alcoholic
beverages consumption.
H04: The
use of the 18+ warning sign in alcoholic beverage advertisements does not
significantly influence alcohol beverages consumption among underage university
undergraduates.
H05: Demographic
variables do not significantly influence the attitude of undergraduates towards
the 18+ warning sign.
1.6 Justification for the Study
This
study is relevant because of the need to regulate or control exposure of young
people, especially the underage to alcohol beverages advertisements. Quite a
number of alcoholic beverage advertisements on electronic media, print media
and also outdoor media have an 18+ sign which implies that alcohol consumption
is for people from the age of eighteen (18) years and above. Alcohol
consumption among the youth and underage however, has been a pervasive problem
in Nigeria. Nigerian universities today are dominated by youths who belong to
the underage group and who should abstain or be prevented from consuming
alcohol. It has been observed that quite a number of these university
undergraduates who take alcoholic beverages started doing so before the age of
18 years. Some of the these university undergraduates do not seem to recognize
or even notice this 18+ sign on the alcoholic beverage advertisements, while
some do not seem to know the meaning. This study was necessary because there is
a need to understand the havoc alcohol has wrecked on the average youths in
Nigeria, especially the underage. Therefore, this study sought to investigate
attitude of university undergraduates in South-West, Nigeria to the 18+ sign in
alcoholic beverage advertisements.
1.7 Significance of the Study
This
study served as a contribution to the body of knowledge about alcohol
advertising and underage drinking. The study is relevant to the field of
advertising because it would go a long way in assisting alcoholic beverage
industries and advertisers whose advertisements appeal to and attract young
adults and the underage; thereby discouraging or rather reducing underage
drinking to the barest minimum. This study is also relevant to all countries
all over the world and not to Nigeria alone, because underage drinking has been
a persistent problem among youths and university undergraduates all over the
world. The study is helpful young adults and the underage to realise the
consequences of underage drinking which were discussed in this study so they
could abstain from it. This study is also relevant to regulators as it would
help them monitor advertisements so as to know advertisers who violate the
APCON code of Advertising and Promotion guidelines.
This study is
also relevant to parents so that they could monitor or caution their children’s
exposure to alcohol advertising as most of these young ones do not even notice
or recognize or even know the meaning of the 18+ sign in alcoholic beverage
advertisements. It is also helpful to parents in making their children
understand the consequences of underage drinking which involves a lot of harm
to their body systems. It is also relevant to brewers because they are the
producers of alcohol. This study is also relevant to the field of academics, it
has allowed the researcher contribute to the body of knowledge about 18+ sign
in alcoholic beverage advertisements which might not be noticed, recognized or
even conspicuous to young adults who see the advertisements on different
communication media. The study would also serve as a reference point to
researchers writing on related topics.
1.8 Scope of the Study
This
study focused on attitude of undergraduates to the 18+ warning sign in
alcoholic beverage advertisements. The study sought to examine the dispositions
of university undergraduates in South-West, Nigeria to the 18+ warning sign in
alcoholic beverage advertisements. There are three categories of universities
in South-West, Nigeria, namely: private, state and federal, which were the
focus of this study and these categories of universities were chosen from three
different states (Lagos, Oyo and Ogun states). Though, there are different
alcoholic beverages which includes, beer, distilled spirits, alcoholic wine,
alcoholic herbal drinks and so on, this study is limited to alcoholic beverages
that are advertised. This study was
conducted from July – December, 2016. The research focused on university
undergraduates in South-West, Nigeria, from ages 16years-25years.
1.9 Operationalisation of Variables
The
independent variable of this study is “18+ warning sign in alcoholic beverage
advertisements” (x), the dependent variable is “Attitude of university
undergraduates” (Y), and the intervening variable is the university
undergraduates’ demographic factors (z). The variables of this study are
therefore operationalized thus:
Y = f(x)…………………..(1)
Attitude
of undergraduates to consumption is a function of awareness of the 18+ warning
sign in alcoholic beverage advertisements.
Y = f
(z)(x)…………………..(2)
Attitude
of undergraduates to consumption is a function of recognition of the 18+
warning sign in alcoholic beverage advertisements.
Where
x = 18+ warning sign in alcoholic beverage
advertisements
Y
= Attitude
of university undergraduates
Z = University
Undergraduates demographic factors
Y = y1
+ y2 + y3 + y4
y1 = University
undergraduates’ awareness of the 18+ warning sign and
their consumption habit
y2 = University
undergraduates’ recognition of the 18+ warning sign
and their consumption habit
y3 = University
undergraduates’ perception of the credibility of the 18+ warning sign and their
consumption habit
y4 = University undergraduates’ influence
on underage consumption
due to the 18+ warning
sign
z = z1
+ z2 + z3 + z4
z1 = Undergraduates’
age range
z2 = Undergraduates’
religion
z3 = Undergraduates’
institution
z4 = Undergraduates’
gender
H01 = y1 = f(x)
……………………………. (i)
University undergraduates’ attitude towards
consumption is a function of awareness of the 18+ warning sign
H02 = y2 = f(x)
……………………………. (ii)
University undergraduates’ attitude towards
consumption is a function of recognition of the 18+ warning sign
H03 = y3 = f(x)
……………………………. (iii)
University undergraduates’ attitude towards
consumption is a function of perception of the credibility of the 18+ warning
sign
H04 = y4 = f(x)
University undergraduates’ influence on consumption
is a function of the 18+ warning sign in alcohol advertising
H05 = y5 = f
(z1)(x) ……………………………. a
University undergraduates’ attitude towards
consumption is a function of undergraduates’ age range
y = f (z2)(x) ……………………………. b
University undergraduates’ attitude towards
consumption is a function of undergraduates’ religion.
y = f (z3)(x) ……………………………. c
University undergraduates’ attitude towards
consumption is a function of undergraduates’ institution = f (z4)(x)
……………………………. d
University undergraduates’ influence on underage
consumption is a function of undergraduates’ gender and the 18+ sign in alcoholic
beverage advertisements.
1.10 Operational Definition of Terms
1. Attitude: Attitude refers to manner of
dispositions with regards to a person or a thing. It could be negative or
positive. Attitude in this study refers to drinking despite the restriction on
the age of consumption, seeing the warning sign as of no use in advertisements
of alcoholic beverages; and believing that the sign does nothing in
discouraging underage consumption.
2. 18+ Sign: The 18+ sign is an industry
based regulation on alcoholic beverage advertisements. The sign implies that
alcohol consumption is for people or adults who are eighteen (18) years and
above, and not for the underage.
3. Awareness: This refers to the state or quality of being conscious of
something. Awareness in this study refers to the acknowledgement of the
existence of the 18+ sign in alcoholic beverage advertisements, by university
undergraduates, being familiar with the warning sign and seeing the sign as
bold enough not to be ignored in any alcoholic beverage advertisement.
4. Recognition: This refers to identification of a thing or a person from
previous encounters or knowledge. Recognition in this study refers to the
acknowledgement of the 18+ sign as a warning sign in alcoholic beverage
advertisements, by university undergraduates; believing the sign is meant to
discourage underage consumption or even totally discourage alcohol consumption
or rather seeing the sign as a trademark or logo of some special brands of
alcoholic beverages.
5. Perception: This refers to the way in
which something is regarded, understood and interpreted. Perception in this
context means seeing the sign as potent enough to discourage the consumption of
alcohol, believing the sign could guide the underage against early intake of alcohol
and could also reduce alcohol consumption among the underage and the adults as
well.
6. Influence: This refers to the
capacity to have effect on the behavior of someone or something, or the effect
itself. Influence in the context of this research has to do with how the 18+
sign affect the attitude of university undergraduates whether positively or
negatively. The positive effects have to do with whether the sign is effective
in discouraging underage consumption. The negative effect however, involves the
undergraduates consuming alcohol before the age of 18years despite their
knowledge of the 18+ warning sign.
7. Consumption Habit: Consumption is the
act of eating or drinking something or the
amount that is eaten or drunk, while habit refers to
something that has become part of someone.
Consumption habit in this study refers to the frequency at which
university undergraduates consume alcohol and the company of people with which
they love to drink alcohol- whether in the company of friends or with their parents.
8. Alcoholism: This is being used
interchangeably in this study as alcohol consumption. It refers to drinking
which comes as a result of alcohol promotion and which could result in problems
or harms to the body system. According to this study, alcoholism can also result
in social problems, health problems and even risky situations such as risky
driving, unsafe sex, automobile accidents and even death.
9. Advertising appeal: Advertising
appeals refers to ways and approaches that are being used in attracting the
attention of target audiences so as to influence their feelings towards a
particular product. As regards this study, the appeals used were personal,
social and humour appeals. Personal emotions that can drive people to purchase
alcoholic beverages in the scope of this study were joy, happiness, pleasure,
esteem and pride, while social factors that can drive people to purchase
alcoholic beverages are recognition, respect, involvement, status and approval.
10. Advertising Effects: This refers to
the influence advertising has on people. Advertising effects can be positive
and it could be negative. Advertising effect is positive when it becomes
favourable to the audience and negative when it is unfavourable. Positive
advertising effect includes recognition of the 18+ sign by the underage and
adhering to the warning while negative advertising effect includes overlooking
the sign and drinking.
11. Self-regulation: These are industry
based regulation; they are rules and laws stipulated by the advertising
industries. An example of an industry based regulation in advertising is the
18+ sign in alcoholic beverage advertisements which simply implies that alcohol
consumption is for adults who are eighteen (18) years and above.
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