Predictors of electronic nicotine product quit attempts and cessation: analysis of waves 3 and 4 of the PaTh study.

Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of data from the Population assessment of Tobacco and health (PaTh) study to identify predictors of electronic nicotine product (ENP) quit attempts and cessation among adult ENP users. The study used Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) to examine cognitive, behavioral, and socio-environmental factors that may influence ENP quit attempts and cessation. The key points and main message of the text are summarized below.

Key Points:

* The study found that between W3 and W4, 51.7% of W3 ENP users made a quit attempt, and among those who tried quitting, 68.4% stopped using ENPs.
* SCT-based predictors of ENP quit attempts included higher interest in quitting ENPs, greater self-efficacy to quit ENPs, and currently using cigarettes, non-combustibles, and cannabis.
* Predictors of ENP cessation included greater self-efficacy to quit ENPs, greater perceived risk of ENPs, and being a current smoker.
* Participants with higher education levels had lower odds of making a quit attempt, while those with higher education levels and those who were current smokers had higher odds of quitting ENPs.
* Socio-environmental factors and dependence were not associated with ENP quit attempts or cessation.
* Users of rechargeable devices had lower odds of quitting, which could be due to higher frequency or dependence among rechargeable device users.
* The study had limitations, including the assumption that all non-current established ENP users made a quit attempt, the lack of biochemical verification of ENP cessation, and the analysis predating the growth in popularity of high-nicotine containing pod-based ENPs.

Main Message:
The study suggests that SCT-based interventions that target cognitive factors, particularly self-efficacy, might be effective in catalyzing ENP quit attempts and cessation. however, given the harm associated with combustible tobacco use, further research is needed to understand the positive association between cigarette smoking and ENP quitting behaviors. The study also highlights the need for interventions to address co-occurring tobacco product and cannabis use, and for empirical studies to determine the comparative effectiveness of approaches that promote quitting ENPs simultaneously or after first quitting smoking for long-term smoking and overall nicotine abstinence.

Krishnan N, Berg CJ, Elmi a, Klemperer EM, Sherman SE, abroms LC. Predictors of electronic nicotine product quit attempts and cessation: analysis of waves 3 and 4 of the PaTh study. addictive behaviors. 2022;134:107419. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107419