College Students' Perceptions of Numeric Information About Nicotine Health Risks Across Different Visual Presentation Formats

ABSTRACT

Health communication sources sometimes present information in ways that are theoretically ineffective for supporting understanding of numeric health risks. This study examined how visual presentation formats influence adolescent college students' comprehension of nicotine‐related health statistics. Participants ( N  = 170) were randomly assigned to view numeric information about nicotine's effects on mental health in one of four conditions: text‐only, graph + text, table + text, or image + text. They were asked to answer questions assessing numeric comprehension, recall, and perceived utility of information. Graphs and tables enhanced accuracy for numeric comparisons, particularly among participants with average‐to‐high subjective numeracy. However, participants given graphs showed lower recall of information only found in text than participants in the text‐only condition, suggesting potential distraction. Images increased perceived utility without improving comprehension. These findings highlight the importance of tailoring health risk communications to adolescents' numeracy to optimize understanding and promote informed decision‐making.