U.S. public opinion toward policy restrictions to limit tobacco product placement and advertising at point-of-sale and on social media.

The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act granted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authority to regulate tobacco advertising and promotion, including at the retail level, and preserved state, tribal, and local tobacco advertising and promotion authorities. Public health experts have proposed prohibiting point-of-sale tobacco advertisements and product displays, among other tobacco advertising restrictions. We examined the prevalence and correlates of public support, opposition, and neutrality toward proposed tobacco product placement and advertising restrictions at point-of-sale and on social media utilizing the National Cancer Institute's 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) (N = 3865), a cross-sectional, probability-based postal survey of U.S. addresses conducted from Feb 24, 2020 to June 15, 2020 (Bethesda, MD). Frequencies and unadjusted, weighted proportions were calculated for support, neutrality, and opposition toward the three policies under study, and weighted, adjusted multivariable logistic regression was employed to examine predictors of neutrality and opposition. Tests of significance were conducted at the p < 0.05 level. Sixty-two percent of U.S. adults supported a policy prohibiting tobacco product advertising on social media; 55% supported a policy restricting the location of tobacco product advertising at point-of-sale; and nearly 50% supported a policy to keep tobacco products out of view at the checkout counter. Neutrality and opposition varied by sociodemographic characteristics including age, sex, education, rurality, and presence of children in the household. Understanding public opinion toward tobacco product placement and advertising restrictions may inform policy planning and implementation.

Associations of Daily Versus Nondaily Smoking, Tobacco-Related Risk Perception, and Cancer Diagnosis Among Adults in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study.

INTRODUCTION: Nondaily smoking has become increasingly common among cigarette smokers. Our objective was to determine whether current daily versus nondaily smoking differed by tobacco-related risk perceptions (TRRPs), demographic factors, and cancer history. METHODS: Participants were all adults in Waves 1-3 of the longitudinal cohort Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study who were current smokers at Wave 3 (N = 8307). The primary analysis was weighted logistic regression of daily versus nondaily smoking at Wave 3. TRRP measures were cigarette harm perception, worry that tobacco products will damage one's health, belief that smoking cigarettes causes [lung/bladder/mouth/liver] cancer, and nondaily cigarette harm perception (Likert-type scale). Other measures included demographic factors, other tobacco product use, minor at time of first cigarette, and cancer survivor status (yes/no). RESULTS: Among current smokers, daily versus nondaily smoking was significantly associated with being a minor at time of first cigarette (OR = 1.54, p < .001), TRRPs (OR = 0.83, p < .001; OR = 1.40, p < .001; and OR = 1.17, p = .009 [harm perception, worry, and nondaily cigarette harm perception, respectively]), and interaction between cancer survivor status and belief that smoking causes cancer (p < .001). TRRPs among current smokers did not differ significantly between cancer survivors and respondents without a cancer history. CONCLUSIONS: Respondents with lower harm perception, higher worry, and higher nondaily cigarette harm perception were more likely to be daily versus nondaily smokers. Respondents with higher belief that smoking causes cancer or who were cancer survivors were less likely to be daily (versus nondaily) smokers compared to respondents with low belief and no cancer history. IMPLICATIONS: This study is unique in that it examined associations of smoking cigarettes daily versus nondaily with tobacco-related risk perceptions and cancer survivorship-comparing cancer survivors to those without a cancer history. Given the increasing prevalence of nondaily smoking as compared with daily smoking in the general population, and the prognostic significance of smoking after cancer diagnosis, these findings fill a clinically important gap in the literature and provide a foundation for further research.

Public Support for Cigarette Pack Pictorial Health Warnings Among US Adults: A Cross-sectional Analysis of the 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey.

INTRODUCTION: The US Food and Drug Administration issued a final rule requiring new warnings for cigarette packages and advertisements. This study examines population-level characteristics of support for-versus neutrality or opposition toward-cigarette pack warnings that use text and images to portray the negative health effects of smoking. METHODS: We used nationally representative cross-sectional data of US adults age 18 and older from the 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey (n = 3865). Frequencies and weighted proportions were calculated for neutrality toward, opposition to, and support for pictorial warnings across sociodemographics and other predictors. Weighted, multivariable logistic regression examined predictors of being neutral or opposed versus supportive of pictorial warnings. RESULTS: In 2020, an estimated 69.9% of US adults supported pictorial warnings, 9.1% opposed, and 20.9% neither supported nor opposed them. In fully adjusted models, current smokers had almost twice the odds of being neutral or opposed to pictorial warnings as never smokers (odds ratio [OR] = 1.99, confidence interval [CI] 1.12, 3.52). Adults 75 years and older (vs. 18-34) (OR = 0.55, CI 0.33, 0.94) and those with children under 18 in their household (vs. no children) (OR = 0.67, CI 0.46, 0.98) were less likely to be neutral or opposed. CONCLUSIONS: In advance of the Food and Drug Administration's implementation of pictorial warnings on cigarette packages, nearly 70% of American adults support this policy. Disseminating information about the effectiveness of pictorial warnings may further strengthen support among current smokers who are less supportive than never smokers. Furthermore, framing messages around the benefits of pictorial warnings for protecting youth may increase public support. IMPLICATIONS: While public support for pictorial warnings on cigarette packages is high in the United States, it may increase further after policy implementation and be strengthened by utilizing information campaigns that convey the evidence that pictorial warnings are an effective public health strategy.

The United States National Cancer Institute's Coordinated Research Effort on Tobacco Use as a Major Cause of Morbidity and Mortality among People with HIV.

The use of antiretroviral therapy for people with HIV (PWH) has improved life expectancy. However, PWH now lose more life-years to tobacco use than to HIV infection. Unfortunately, PWH smoke at higher rates and have more difficulty maintaining abstinence than the general population, compounding their risk for chronic disease. In this Commentary, we describe a United States National Cancer Institute-led initiative to address the relative lack of research focused on developing, testing, and implementing smoking cessation interventions for PWH. This initiative supports seven clinical trials designed to systematically test and/or develop and test adaptations of evidence-based smoking cessation interventions for PWH (eg, combination of behavioral and pharmacological). We summarize each project, including setting/recruitment sites, inclusion/exclusion criteria, interventions being tested, and outcomes. This initiative provides critical opportunities for collaboration and data harmonization across projects. The knowledge gained will inform strategies to assist PWH to promote and maintain abstinence, and ensure that these efforts are adaptable and scalable, thereby addressing one of the major threats to the health of PWH. Reducing smoking behavior may be particularly important during the COVID-19 pandemic given that smokers who become infected with SARS-CoV-2 may be at risk for more severe disease. IMPLICATIONS: This Commentary describes a National Cancer Institute-led initiative to advance the science and practice of treating tobacco use among PWH, which is now responsible for more life years lost than HIV. We describe the scope of the problem, the objectives of the initiative, and a summary of the seven funded studies. Harmonization of data across projects will provide information related to treatment mediators and moderators that was not previously possible. Stakeholders interested in tobacco cessation, including researchers, clinicians and public health officials, should be aware of this initiative and the evidence-base it will generate to advance tobacco treatment among this high-risk population.

Menthol and Mint Cigarettes and Cigars: Initiation and Progression in Youth, Young Adults and Adults in Waves 1-4 of the PATH Study, 2013-2017.

INTRODUCTION: This study examined in youth (12-17 years), young adults (18-24 years), and adults (25+ years): (1) the prevalence of the first menthol cigarette and menthol/mint cigar use among new tobacco users; (2) association between the first menthol/mint use, subsequent tobacco use, and nicotine dependence ~1 year later compared with the first non-menthol/mint use. AIMS AND METHODS: Longitudinal analysis of data from Waves 1 to 4 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study (2013-2017; 10 086 youth and 21 281 adults). Main outcome measures were past 12-month and past 30-day cigarette and cigar use, and nicotine dependence. RESULTS: Youth and young adult new cigarette users are more likely to smoke a menthol cigarette or indicate that they do not know the flavor compared with adults aged 25+. A greater proportion of adults aged 25+ first used menthol/mint-flavored cigars (13.4%) compared with youth (8.5%) and young adults (7.4%). Among young adults, first use of a menthol cigarette is associated with past 12-month use of cigarettes at the subsequent wave and first use of any menthol/mint-flavored cigars is associated with past 30-day use of these products at the subsequent wave in both youth and young adults. In youth and adults, there were no significant relationships between first use of a menthol/mint cigarette or cigar and nicotine dependence scores at a subsequent wave in multivariable analyses. CONCLUSIONS: The first use of menthol/mint cigarettes and cigars is associated with subsequent cigarette and cigar use in young people aged 12-24. IMPLICATIONS: This study examined the relationship between initiation with menthol cigarettes and menthol/mint cigars, subsequent tobacco use, and nicotine dependence in US youth, young adults, and adults who participated in Waves 1-4 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study. New use of menthol cigarettes was associated with greater past 12-month cigarette use in young adults and new use of menthol/mint-flavored cigars was associated with greater past 30-day cigar use in youth and young adults compared with non-menthol use. Initiation with menthol/mint cigarette and cigar products may lead to subsequent use of those products.

Tobacco-Product Use by Adults and Youths in the United States in 2013 and 2014.

BACKGROUND: Noncigarette tobacco products are evolving rapidly, with increasing popularity in the United States. METHODS: We present prevalence estimates for 12 types of tobacco products, using data from 45,971 adult and youth participants (≥12 years of age) from Wave 1 (September 2013 through December 2014) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, a large, nationally representative, longitudinal study of tobacco use and health in the United States. Participants were asked about their use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, traditional cigars, cigarillos, filtered cigars, pipe tobacco, hookah, snus pouches, other smokeless tobacco, dissolvable tobacco, bidis, and kreteks. Estimates of the prevalence of use for each product were determined according to use category (e.g., current use or use in the previous 30 days) and demographic subgroup, and the prevalence of multiple-product use was explored. RESULTS: More than a quarter (27.6%) of adults were current users of at least one type of tobacco product in 2013 and 2014, although the prevalence varied depending on use category. A total of 8.9% of youths had used a tobacco product in the previous 30 days; 1.6% of youths were daily users. Approximately 40% of tobacco users, adults and youths alike, used multiple tobacco products; cigarettes plus e-cigarettes was the most common combination. Young adults (18 to 24 years of age), male adults and youths, members of racial minorities, and members of sexual minorities generally had higher use of tobacco than their counterparts. CONCLUSIONS: During this study, 28% of U.S. adults were current users of tobacco, and 9% of youths had used tobacco in the previous 30 days. Use of multiple products was common among tobacco users. These findings will serve as baseline data to examine between-person differences and within-person changes over time in the use of tobacco products. (Funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the Food and Drug Administration.).

Measuring Cigarette Smoking Risk Perceptions.

Risk perception is an important construct in many health behavior theories. Smoking risk perceptions are thoughts and feelings about the harms associated with cigarette smoking. Wide variation in the terminology, definition, and assessment of this construct makes it difficult to draw conclusions about the associations of risk perceptions with smoking behaviors. To understand optimal methods of assessing adults' cigarette smoking risk perceptions (among both smokers and nonsmokers), we reviewed best practices from the tobacco control literature, and where gaps were identified, we looked more broadly to the research on risk perceptions in other health domains. Based on this review, we suggest assessments of risk perceptions (1) about multiple smoking-related health harms, (2) about harms over a specific timeframe, and (3) for the person affected by the harm. For the measurement of perceived likelihood in particular (ie, the perceived chance of harm from smoking based largely on deliberative thought), we suggest including (4) unconditional and conditional items (stipulating smoking behavior) and (5) absolute and comparative items and including (6) comparisons to specific populations through (7) direct and indirect assessments. We also suggest including (8) experiential (ostensibly automatic, somatic perceptions of vulnerability to a harm) and affective (emotional reactions to a potential harm) risk perception items. We also offer suggestions for (9) response options and (10) the assessment of risk perception at multiple time points. Researchers can use this resource to inform the selection, use, and future development of smoking risk perception measures. IMPLICATIONS: Incorporating the measurement suggestions for cigarette smoking risk perceptions that are presented will help researchers select items most appropriate for their research questions and will contribute to greater consistency in the assessment of smoking risk perceptions among adults.

Population prevalence and predictors of self-reported exposure to court-ordered, tobacco-related corrective statements.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the population prevalence and predictors of self-reported exposure to court-ordered tobacco-related corrective statements in 2017-2018, when they were first implemented in newspapers and on television. METHODS: Nationally representative data from the 2018 Health Information National Trends Survey were used (n=3504). Frequencies and weighted proportions were calculated for seeing any corrective statement and for each of the five court-ordered corrective statements. Weighted, multivariable logistic regression was used to examine sociodemographic and smoking status predictors of reported exposure to any corrective statement. RESULTS: In 2018, an estimated 40.6% of US adults had seen messages in newspapers or on television in the past 6 months stating that a federal court has ordered tobacco companies to make statements about the dangers of smoking cigarettes. Reported exposure to topic-specific statements ranged from 11.4% (manipulation of cigarette design) to 34.7% (health effects). Those with a high school education were significantly less likely than those with a college degree to report seeing the statements (OR=0.69, CI 0.50 to 0.95) and current smokers were significantly more likely than never smokers to report seeing them (OR=1.68, CI 1.12 to 2.53). CONCLUSIONS: In the first 6 months of corrective statement implementation, an estimated 40.6% of US adults reported at least one exposure to any corrective statement, and current smokers were more likely than never smokers to report exposure. Traditional media channels can be effective for tobacco-related message dissemination; however, they may fail to reach more than half of the adult population without additional targeted communication efforts.

A review of risk perception measurement in tobacco control research.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the characteristics of risk perception measures used in tobacco control research and to evaluate whether these measures incorporate measurement suggestions put forward by risk perception measurement scholars. DATA SOURCES: Three databases (PubMed, PsycINFO and Web of Science) were searched in March 2015 for published English language peer-reviewed articles measuring tobacco risk perceptions (n=2557). The search string included terms related to tobacco products, perceptions and risk. STUDY SELECTION: Three coders independently coded abstracts for initial inclusion. In total, 441 articles met the initial inclusion criteria, and 100 were randomly selected for a full-text review. DATA EXTRACTION: A codebook was developed and tested through a training phase. Three coders independently coded the characteristics of each article (eg, population), multi-item measure (eg, validity) and item (eg, likelihood, affect, health outcome). Fifty-four articles, 33 measures and 239 items were coded. DATA SYNTHESIS: Twenty-one articles had a multi-item risk perception measure, and 12 articles had one risk perception item. Many of the items asked about general health outcomes (36%), did not specify the person for whom risk was being judged (44%; eg, self, average person) or did not specify the conditions of use (27%; eg, the product used, intensity of use). CONCLUSIONS: There is little consistency across risk perception measures in tobacco research. There may be value in developing and disseminating best practices for assessing tobacco risk perceptions. A set of risk perception consensus measures may also benefit researchers in the field to help them consistently apply measurement recommendations.

Implicit theories of smoking and association with interest in quitting among current smokers.

Many cigarette smokers make multiple attempts to quit before they are successful. Implicit theories of smoking (ITS)-beliefs about whether smoking behavior is something that is changeable (incremental belief) or fixed (entity belief)-may play a role in quitting. Four iterations of the cross-sectional, nationally-representative Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) were used in logistic regression analyses to examine how smokers' ITS relates to (1) attempts to quit in the past 12 months; (2) considering quitting in the next 6 months; and (3) the interaction between ITS and past quit attempts on considering quitting. Greater incremental beliefs were not significantly associated with having tried to quit in the past year (ß = .27, p = .055); however, greater incremental beliefs were associated with greater likelihood of considering quitting in the next 6 months (ß = .22, p = .04). Past quit attempts did not moderate the association between ITS and considering quitting (ß = .59, p = .10). Results suggest that incremental beliefs are associated with increased intentions to quit.

Harm perceptions and tobacco use initiation among youth in Wave 1 and 2 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study.

In the US, youth attribute higher levels of harm and addictiveness to cigarettes relative to other tobacco products. Monitoring harm perceptions across a range of tobacco products is important when forecasting risk for experimentation. This study examined data from US youth (N = 10,081) ages 12-17 from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study who completed both Wave 1 (2013-2014) and Wave 2 (2014-2015) interviews. Analyses assessed: (1) trends in perceived harm and addictiveness of products over time, (2) whether perceived harm and addictiveness of a product at Wave 1 predicted trying that product for the first time by Wave 2, and (3) whether trying a product between Waves 1 and 2 predicted a decrease in one's perceived harm and addictiveness of that product. Levels of perceived harmfulness and addictiveness significantly increased between Wave 1 and Wave 2 for all products (χ2 (range): 7.8-109.2; p's ≤ 0.02). Compared to those with "high" perceived harmfulness of a tobacco product at Wave 1, those with "low" and "medium" perceived harmfulness had a significantly increased probability of use of that product at Wave 2. For all products, Wave 1 youth never tobacco users who tried a product (vs. did not) at Wave 2 had a significantly higher probability of being in the "low" category of perceived harmfulness at Wave 2. Among US youth, there is a bidirectional relationship between harm perceptions and product use. Understanding how changes in perceptions translate to changes in tobacco use could inform efforts to prevent tobacco initiation in youth.

Advancing Tobacco Product Warning Labels Research Methods and Theory: A Summary of a Grantee Meeting Held by the US National Cancer Institute.

BACKGROUND: The World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control recommends prominent pictorial health warnings on tobacco products. To advance research methods, theory and understanding of how tobacco product warning labels (TPWLs) work, the US National Cancer Institute convened a grantee meeting. Our article describes the key insights that emerged from the meeting, situated within the context of the scientific literature. RESULTS & RECOMMENDATIONS: First, presentations confirmed that large, pictorial TPWLs motivate people to try to quit and encourage smoking cessation. Second, pictorial TPWLs increase attention, knowledge, negative affect, and thinking about the warning. Third, TPWL studies have primarily used brief-exposure laboratory studies and observational studies of sustained exposure through national policy implementation, with a few randomized trials involving several weeks of exposure-with generally consistent results found across study designs. Fourth, novel assessment methods include brain imaging, eye tracking and "best-worst" discrete choice experiments. To make TPWL even more effective, research is needed to confirm the mechanisms of their influence, their impact across vulnerable populations, and their effect on social media posts about tobacco products. Research is also needed on the effect of trial design choices, the predictive validity of new measurement approaches, and warning labels for non-cigarette tobacco products. IMPLICATIONS: To improve scientific understanding of TPWL effects, this grantee meeting summary describes emerging research methods, theory and study results. Directions for future research include examination of the mechanisms of how warning labels work across diverse tobacco products and across different populations and contexts.

Item Development and Performance of Tobacco Product and Regulation Perception Items for the Health Information National Trends Survey.

INTRODUCTION: Emerging tobacco products have become increasingly popular, and the US Food and Drug Administration extended its authority to all products meeting the definition of a tobacco product in 2016. These changes may lead to shifts in public perceptions about tobacco products and regulation, and national surveys are attempting to assess these perceptions at the population level. This article describes the item development and cognitive interviewing of the tobacco product and regulation perception items included in two tobacco-focused cycles of the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS-FDA), referred to as HINTS-FDA. METHODS: Cognitive interviewing was used to investigate how respondents comprehended and responded to tobacco product and regulation perception items. Adult participants (n = 20) were selected purposively to oversample current tobacco users and were interviewed in two iterative rounds. Weighted descriptive statistics from the fielded HINTS-FDA surveys (N = 5474) were also calculated. RESULTS: Items were generally interpreted as intended, and participants meaningfully discriminated between tobacco products when assessing addiction perceptions. Response selection issues involved inconsistent reporting among participants with little knowledge or ambivalent opinions about either government regulation or tobacco products and ingredients, which resolved when a "don't know" response option was included in the survey. The fielded survey found that a non-negligible proportion of the population do not have clear perceptions of emerging tobacco products or government regulation. CONCLUSIONS: A "don't know" response option is helpful for items assessing many emerging tobacco products but presents several analytic challenges that should be carefully considered. Multiple items assessing specific tobacco product and regulation perception items are warranted in future surveys. IMPLICATIONS: The findings from this study can serve as a foundation for future surveys that assess constructs related to emerging tobacco products, harm perceptions across multiple tobacco products, and tobacco-related government regulatory activities. The data provide unique insight into item-specific motivation for selecting a "don't know" response option for tobacco survey items.

Cigar package quantity and smoking behavior.

BACKGROUND: Several jurisdictions in the US and abroad limit the minimum number of cigars that can be sold per package. Research has not evaluated whether small packages might result in cigar use initiation, or whether adding cigars to packages might result in purchasers smoking more cigars. METHODS: Using nationally representative US adult data from Waves 1 and 2 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study, we assessed links between cigar package quantity (number of cigars in the package a person usually buys) and (1) price, and (2) cigar and cigarette use over time, for three cigar types: filtered cigars, cigarillos, and large cigars. RESULTS: Smaller quantity packages (i.e., packages with fewer cigars) were cheaper per-pack than larger quantity packages but more expensive per-stick for all three cigar types. For filtered cigars, past-year starters tended to buy smaller quantity packages compared to longer-term users (geometric mean = 6.31 vs. 11.75, respectively; b = -.18, 95%CI: -.32, -.04). Also, those who bought smaller quantity packages of filtered cigars tended to smoke fewer cigars over time compared to those who bought larger quantity packages (b = 1.16, 95%CI: 0.45, 1.87). Neither of these associations was observed for cigarillos or large cigars. We also found little evidence that buying larger quantity packages predicted continuing to use cigars or using cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS: Although we found consistent associations between package quantity and price, we found few associations between package quantity and changes in cigar smoking behaviors over time, particularly for cigarillos and large cigars. Key limitations include our adult-only analyses and inability to determine the package quantity that cigar users initiated with. Future studies could examine whether package quantity plays a causal role in filtered cigar use initiation or consumption rates.

Beliefs about FDA tobacco regulation, modifiability of cancer risk, and tobacco product comparative harm perceptions: Findings from the HINTS-FDA 2015.

Smokers who inaccurately believe that FDA evaluates cigarettes for safety hold lower harm perceptions of cigarettes compared to those who do not hold this belief. However, not much is known about associations between beliefs about FDA tobacco regulatory authority and comparative harm perceptions of tobacco products. Data were analyzed from the Health Information National Trends Survey, HINTS-FDA 2015 (N = 3738), which is a cross-sectional, probability-based, nationally representative survey of U.S. non-institutionalized civilian adults aged 18 years or older. Weighted multinomial and logistic regression analyses regressed comparative harm perceptions on sociodemographic factors, beliefs about FDA regulatory authority, perceptions of FDA credibility, and beliefs about modifiability of cancer risk (behavioral cancer causal beliefs and cancer fatalism). Findings indicate that, compared to non-users, current tobacco users are more likely to report believing that e-cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes, to report believing that some cigarette types may be less harmful than others, and to report believing that tobacco products are safer now than they were five years ago. Awareness of FDA regulatory authority was associated with reporting the belief that tobacco products are safer now than five years ago, that e-cigarettes are less harmful than cigarettes, and that some cigarette types are less harmful than other cigarette types. Believing behavior as a cause of cancer and endorsing cancer fatalism were associated with uncertainty of comparative harm perceptions. Communication efforts can help target inaccurate beliefs by raising awareness about regulation of tobacco products as well as the risks of tobacco products.

The Impact of Weight and Weight-Related Perceptions on Smoking Status Among Young Adults in a Text-Messaging Cessation Program.

Introduction: Weight gain and concerns about weight can influence a smoker's ability to successfully quit, and young adults are a subgroup of smokers who are particularly concerned about the impact of quitting on their body weight. This study explored the associations between body mass index, weight perceptions, and smoking status among young adults. Methods: The sample consisted of 4027 young adults between the ages of 18 and 29 who participated in a randomized control trial of the National Cancer Institute's SmokefreeTXT program. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between weight related variables and smoking status. Results: Obese participants had a 0.72 lower odds (95% CI: 0.62, 0.85) of reporting smoking at the end of the program than participants of normal weight, and this difference persisted over time. Weight perceptions were also associated with smoking status. Those who perceived themselves to be slightly underweight/underweight were more likely to report smoking than those who reported being just about the right weight (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.20, 1.95), and those who strongly disagreed that smoking cigarettes helps people keep their weight down were less likely to report smoking at the end of treatment than those who neither agreed nor disagreed with this statement (OR: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.54, 0.87). Conclusions: Weight related factors assessed at baseline predicted smoking status at the end of treatment and through long term follow-up. Smoking cessation programs that tailor content to addresses the specific needs of weight concerned smokers may enhance effectiveness. Implications: This study explores the association between weight related factors and smoking status among young adults, a priority population for smoking cessation efforts. This study demonstrates that both actual weight and weight perceptions (eg, perception of body weight, perception of associations between smoking and weight) are associated with smoking outcomes, and thus need to be a considered in the development of smoking cessation programs.

Cigarette smoking risk-reducing beliefs: Findings from the United States Health Information National Trends Survey.

Cigarette smoking risk-reducing beliefs are ideas that certain health promoting behaviors (e.g., exercise) may mitigate the risks associated with smoking. The objective of this study was to describe smoking risk-reducing beliefs and the belief that quitting can reduce the harmful effects of smoking among the U.S. adult population and the associations between these beliefs, current smoking status, and sociodemographics. Data were from the Health Information National Trends Survey 4 (HINTS 4) Cycles 3 and 4 (2013-2014; N=6862). Descriptive analyses were conducted to examine bivariate associations among the quit smoking belief, smoking risk-reducing beliefs, and covariates. Weighted ordinal logistic regression models examined the adjusted associations between smoking status and sociodemographics, with quit smoking belief and risk-reducing beliefs. Eighty-two percent of the population reported that quitting cigarette smoking can help reduce the harmful effects of smoking a lot: former smokers and individuals with higher educational attainment were more likely to endorse this belief than never smokers and those with lower educational attainment. Many people endorsed smoking risk-reducing beliefs about exercise (79.3%), fruits and vegetables (71.8%), vitamins (67.2%), and sleep (68.5%). Former smokers were less likely to subscribe to these beliefs than never smokers. Vulnerable populations who may be most at risk of smoking attributable morbidity and mortality were more likely to endorse risk-reducing beliefs. Future studies are needed to better understand how risk-reducing beliefs are formed and if modifying these beliefs may help to reduce cigarette smoking in the U.S.

Susceptibility to tobacco product use among youth in wave 1 of the population Assessment of tobacco and health (PATH) study.

The purpose of this study was to investigate susceptibility and ever use of tobacco products among adolescents and young adults in the US. Cross-sectional analysis of Wave 1(2013-2014) adolescent (12-17year-olds; n=13,651) and young adult (18-24year-olds; n=9112) data from the nationally-representative Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study was conducted. At 12years, 5% were ever tobacco users and 36% were susceptible to use. Seventy percent were susceptible at age 17years, and the same proportion were ever users at age 22years. Susceptibility levels were comparable for cigarettes and e-cigarette (28.6% and 27.4%, respectively), followed by hookah (22.0%), pipes (17.5%), cigars (15.2%), and smokeless tobacco (9.7%). Non-Hispanic (NH) Black (Adjusted Odds Ratio [ORadj]=1.36; 95% Confidence Limit [CL], 1.18-1.56) and Hispanic (ORadj=1.34: 95% CL,1.19-1.49) adolescent never- users were more likely to be susceptible to future use of a tobacco product than NH Whites. Susceptibility was higher with age (15-17yrs. vs 12-14yrs.: ORadj=1.69; 95% CL, 1.55-1.85) and parental education (college graduates vs less than HS education: ORadj=1.22, 95% CL, 1.08-1.39). Compared to exclusive users of hookah, cigars, or smokeless products, larger proportions of exclusive e-cigarette ever users were also susceptible to cigarette use. Among adolescents, lower levels of ever use of tobacco products are often counterbalanced by higher levels of susceptibility for future use, which may suggest delayed initiation in some groups. Ever users of a given tobacco product were more susceptible to use other tobacco products, putting them at risk for future multiple tobacco product use.