Work

Electronic Cigarette Device and Liquid Characteristics: Comparison of Self-Reports to User-Provided Pictures

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Self-reports of electronic cigarette (ECIG) device and liquid characteristics are not always accurate or consistent with characteristics as measured by researchers. Two methods for measuring ECIG characteristics were compared: user self-reports and rater-coded pictures. METHODS: = 321) reported on device (disposable, refillable, adjustable power, brand) and liquid (nicotine concentration, formulation, flavor) characteristics. To measure device type, they chose the term that best described their device ("cig-alike," "vape pen," "mod," "pod," "don't know") and the picture that best resembled their device (cig-alike, vape pen, box mod, USB-shaped pod, teardrop-shaped pod, none). Respondents uploaded device and liquid pictures, and independent raters coded these same features. Agreement between methods was examined with Cohen's kappa and intra-class correlations, including with "don't know" responses included and excluded from analyses. RESULTS: Regardless of how "don't know" responses were treated, agreement was highest for disposable (95.3-97.7%), refillable (96.3%), adjustable power (83.6-88.7%), and brand (77.9-80.4%), and lower for nicotine concentration (72.7%), nicotine formulation (58.6-79.4%), and flavor (66.2%). For device type, agreement was moderate using both term-based (67.9-78.8%) and picture resemblance-based (71.7%) items. For terms, the greatest discrepancy was for devices classified as "vape pens" by self-reports; of these, 70.6% were classified as "pods" by raters. For picture resemblance, ∼13% of users reported that their device resembled none of the pictures; raters classified these devices as USB-shaped pods (50.0%) and mods (23.8%). CONCLUSIONS: Self-reports may be sufficient for measuring some characteristics (brand, disposable, refillable, adjustable power), but not others (nicotine concentration and formulation, and some flavor).

Source: Substance Use & Misuse

DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2024.2392517

Authors: Ashley E. Douglas, Margaret G. Childers, Nicholas J. Felicione, Andrea R. Milstred, Melissa D. Blank

Institutions: West Virginia University, University at Buffalo, State University of New York

Language: English

Topic: Smoking Behavior and Cessation

Subfield: Physiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: green

Funder: National Institute of General Medical Sciences