PC1144: Portrayal of Tobacco Use in Nigerian Movies

Background: In high-income countries, movies have been associated with initiation of tobacco use in children and adolescents. There is limited research on tobacco representation and imagery in movies made in low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) where tobacco use is increasing. The Nigerian film industry, also called Nollywood, is rapidly growing and its movies are viewed across Africa and in the diaspora. This study examines the portrayal of tobacco use in popular Nollywood movies.

Methods: On 16 October 2021, we searched Google using “Most watched Nollywood movies AND Netflix” and “Most watched Nigerian movies AND Netflix”. From each search result, popular movies were identified from the categories “Popular movies about Nollywood on Netflix” and “Popular movies set in Nigeria”. Movies identified by both search terms were included in the study. Two coders viewed assigned movies and analyzed content for tobacco use.

Results: The search produced 100 categorized as popular; 50 from each search term. Seventeen movies were identified by both searches (Table 1). At least 1 individual was smoking cigarette or cigars in 64.7% (11/17) movies; median=1 smoker per movie; range 0 to 16. Representation was primarily male adults smoking (8/11) and in six movies, a major character was smoking. In 72.7% (8/11) movies, tobacco use was portrayed as either positive or neutral.

Conclusion: Tobacco use is commonly featured in popular Nollywood movies and represented as positive or neutral. Scrutinizing and monitoring tobacco imagery in movies might be important for public health interventions to prevent initiation of tobacco use in children and adolescents residing in LMIC.