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. 2018 Mar;4(2):51-60.
doi: 10.18001/trs.4.2.5.

Appeal and Use of Customizable E-cigarette Product Features in Adolescents

Deepa R Camenga  1 , Meghan Morean  2 , Grace Kong  3 , Suchitra Krishnan-Sarin  3 , Patricia Simon  3 , Krysten Bold  3
Affiliations

Appeal and Use of Customizable E-cigarette Product Features in Adolescents

Deepa R Camenga et al. Tob Regul Sci. 2018 Mar.

Abstract

Objectives: We evaluated the appeal and use of e-cigarette product features in a sample of high school students in Connecticut.

Methods: In 2015, we conducted school-wide surveys in 8 high schools and analyzed data from 1765 students (877 susceptible tobacco-naïve never-e-cigarette users, 315 susceptible tobacco-exposed never-e-cigarette users, and 656 current e-cigarette users). Students were asked: "What is cool about e-cigarettes?" Response options included e-liquid ingredients (eg, flavors, nicotine content, propylene glycol/vegetable glycerin ratio [ie, PG/VG), the heating source (eg, battery), and physical design (eg, color, shape, appearance). Students were asked: "How do you customize your e-cigarette?" (Change flavors, voltage, PG/VG levels, temperature, skin/tank color, other) and use of nicotine in the e-liquid (yes/no). Multivariable regression assessed associations between current e-cigarette users' customization and e-cigarette use frequency (#days/month).

Results: Flavors were the most appealing product feature among all groups. Among current users, using nicotine e-liquid was more prevalent than changing flavors (44.2% vs 29.6%). Using nicotine e-liquids and changing PG/vG ratios were associated with more frequent e-cigarette use among current users.

Conclusions: These findings can inform tobacco regulatory actions that put forth evidence-based recommendations to manufacture e-liquid flavors, nicotine concentrations and PG/VG ratios that prevent e-cigarette initiation and escalation of use.

Keywords: adolescent health; e-cigarettes; survey methods.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Statement None to report.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Appeal of Customizable E-cigarette Product Features among Susceptible Never Users and Current Usersa Note. a: A larger proportion of current users than susceptible never-users reported that each product feature was appealing (p-values < .001).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Use of Customizable E-cigarette Product Features among Current Users
Figure 3
Figure 3
Use of Nicotine Concentrations among Current E-cigarette Users Note. a: Students who responded “I don’t know” to the nicotine concentration question.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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