Summary
Introduction:
This text presents the results of a study examining the relationship between e-cigarette advertising exposure and subsequent e-cigarette use among young adult cigarette smokers. The study uses data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study and employs a longitudinal design to understand the temporal relationships between e-cigarette advertising exposure and subsequent e-cigarette use. The study also examines these associations based on young adult cigarette smokers' baseline e-cigarette use status to assess potential subgroup differences.
Key Points:
* The study found that e-cigarette advertising exposure was positively associated with subsequent e-cigarette use among U.S. young adult established cigarette smokers.
* The observed associations were driven by smokers who did not currently use e-cigarettes at baseline.
* E-cigarette advertising exposure through brick-and-mortar stores or websites/social media was also positively associated with subsequent e-cigarette use.
* The study also found that e-cigarette advertising exposure was positively associated with subsequent e-cigarette use to quit smoking cigarettes among those who tried to completely quit in the past year.
* The study controlled for various respondent characteristics, including age, gender identity, race/ethnicity, annual household income, highest educational attainment of parents, past-year quitting smoking cigarettes, time to smoke the first cigarette after waking, and current e-cigarette use at Wave 4.
* The study used recommended Wave 5 adult-Wave 4 cohort single or all waves weights for analyzing merged Waves 4 and 5 longitudinal data.
* The study found that young adult cigarette smokers who were exposed to e-cigarette marketing materials were more likely to use e-cigarettes during the following year.
Main Message:
The study suggests that e-cigarette advertising exposure may play a significant role in encouraging young adult cigarette smokers to use e-cigarettes, including using them to quit smoking cigarettes. The findings highlight the need for further research to understand the features of e-cigarette advertising that may shape perception and behavior related to e-cigarette use among young adult smokers. The results also have implications for regulatory efforts to balance the population impact of e-cigarette marketing among both tobacco-naïve young people and established adult smokers.
Citation
Chen-Sankey J, Lopez M, Elhabashy M, Broun A. How the Other Half Sees It: E-cigarette Advertising Exposure and Subsequent E-cigarette Use Among U.S. Young Adult Cigarette Smokers. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. 2023;25(3):453-461. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntac169
