Why Are National Estimates So Different? A Comparison of Youth E-Cigarette Use and Cigarette Smoking in the MTF and PATH Surveys.

Introduction:
This text is a comparison of two national surveys, Monitoring the Future (MTF) and Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH), and their estimates of adolescent e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking. The study aims to understand why the estimates from these two surveys differ so dramatically.

Key Points:

* MTF and PATH are two national surveys that provide different estimates of adolescent e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking.
* The study used data source triangulation and compared 30-day e-cigarette and cigarette use in the 2015-2016 MTF and PATH samples of 17-year-old adolescents.
* The study analyzed variables guided by the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), such as beliefs about harm, use of nicotine/tobacco products, and friends' use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes.
* The study found that the MTF survey, which is conducted in a group setting with peers, had higher prevalence estimates compared to the PATH survey, which is conducted in a home setting.
* The study also found that friends' use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes fully mediated the difference in prevalence estimates between the two surveys.
* The study controlled for sex, race, parental education, average grade in school, and U.S. region.
* The study used logistic regression and multiple mediator models to analyze the data.

Main Message:
The main message of this study is that the survey environment and mode of administration can significantly affect adolescents' responses to questions about e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking. The study found that the MTF survey, which is conducted in a group setting with peers, had higher prevalence estimates compared to the PATH survey, which is conducted in a home setting. The study also found that friends' use of e-cigarettes and cigarettes fully mediated the difference in prevalence estimates between the two surveys. These findings suggest that survey designers and administrators should carefully consider the survey environment and mode of administration when designing and implementing surveys on sensitive topics such as adolescent e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking.

Boyd CJ, Veliz P, Evans-Polce RJ, Eisman AB, Esteban McCabe S. Why Are National Estimates So Different? A Comparison of Youth E-Cigarette Use and Cigarette Smoking in the MTF and PATH Surveys. Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs. 2020;81(4):497-504.