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Frings D, Albery IP, Kimber C, Naughton F, Sideropoulos V, Dawkins L. Change in vaping, smoking and dual-use identities predicts quit success and cigarette usage: A prospective study of people quitting smoking with electronic cigarette support. Br J Health Psychol 2024; 29:877-888. [PMID: 38873852 DOI: 10.1111/bjhp.12735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Revised: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/15/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Electronic cigarettes (ECs) are an efficacious support for some but not all people wishing to stop using tobacco. While advice and practical support have been identified as increasing quit success, little research has explored the role of changes in smoking and EC-related social identities. METHODS A prospective study following 573 people attempting to quit smoking with EC support. Self-report measures of identification with being a smoker, non-smoker, vaper and dual user (people using ECs and tobacco products) were taken prior to the quit attempt and at a 12-week follow-up. RESULTS Baseline identifications with being a smoker, non-smoker or dual user were not associated with smoking outcomes. Baseline vaper identity baseline was linked to more frequent tobacco abstinence at follow-up and lower levels of cigarette smoking. Levels of social identification at follow-up were consistently linked with outcomes, with vaper identity and non-smoking identities being protective and dual user identity being related to lower abstinence rates but decreased tobacco usage. Changes in identity over time were the most consistent predictor of outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Findings have implications for smoking cessation practice, informing how and when identity-based interventions may be effective and our understanding of how identity transitions occur.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Frings
- Centre for Addictive Behaviours Research, London South Bank University, London, UK
| | - I P Albery
- Centre for Addictive Behaviours Research, London South Bank University, London, UK
| | - C Kimber
- Centre for Addictive Behaviours Research, London South Bank University, London, UK
| | - F Naughton
- School of Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - V Sideropoulos
- Department of Psychology & Human Development, IOE, UCL's Faculty of Education and Society, University College London, London, UK
| | - L Dawkins
- Centre for Addictive Behaviours Research, London South Bank University, London, UK
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Shadel WG, Martino SC, Setodji CM, Dunbar M, Jenson D, Wong JC, Falgoust G. Doing more with less: A proposal to advance cigarette packaging regulations in the United States. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2024; 124:104308. [PMID: 38184903 PMCID: PMC10939880 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Cigarette packages are potent marketing tools. Following guidance from the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, many countries have sought to diminish this marketing power by mandating that (1) large graphic health warnings be affixed to the packages (i.e., text warnings combined with graphic images of the health consequences of smoking) and (2) all packages be fully "plain" in their design (i.e., all packages use the same drab/bland color and font type; no brand logos, other colors, or designs are permitted). Yet, the United States lags other countries in implementing regulations designed to blunt the marketing power of cigarette packages. This is not because of a lack of effort on the part of the Food and Drug Administration, the main governmental body charged with regulating tobacco products in the United States. Rather, it is because the regulatory options that that have been advanced in the country (e.g., graphic health warnings) have not been found - yet - to be legally feasible by its courts. This commentary works through some of the conceptual, practical, and legal issues regarding packaging regulations in the United States. It considers the political and bureaucratic risks involved with issuing new regulations. The overall intent is to prompt our field to think creatively about what is realistic in this regulatory space and to offer a novel perspective that may help move the United States tobacco control community forward in its efforts to reduce the promotional power of cigarette packages.
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Affiliation(s)
- William G Shadel
- RAND Corporation, 4570 Fifth Avenue., Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States.
| | - Steven C Martino
- RAND Corporation, 4570 Fifth Avenue., Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
| | - Claude M Setodji
- RAND Corporation, 4570 Fifth Avenue., Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
| | - Michael Dunbar
- RAND Corporation, 4570 Fifth Avenue., Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
| | - Desmond Jenson
- Public Health Law Center, Mitchell Hamline School of Law, Saint Paul, MN 55105, United States
| | - Jody Cs Wong
- RAND Corporation, 4570 Fifth Avenue., Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
| | - Grace Falgoust
- RAND Corporation, 4570 Fifth Avenue., Suite 600, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, United States
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Gilbert E, Ewald A. "You get past the packaging": young women smokers' resistance to standardized cigarette packaging. Women Health 2023; 63:186-193. [PMID: 36650637 DOI: 10.1080/03630242.2022.2164397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
We examined how young women construct and experience plain tobacco packaging. Forty-one Australian young women who are current smokers took part in this qualitative interview research. Data was analyzed using constructivist grounded theory, with the core category about the strategic ways young women resist plain tobacco packaging. The majority of women reported that plain packaging was unappealing and that the larger health warnings were shocking and offensive. However, almost all reported being desensitized to the graphic health warnings. The graphic warnings were seen as "fake" or lacking in credibility, and irrelevant to the women's life stage. Importantly, the majority of women engaged in practices to strategically resist and avoid health warnings on the packs as a way to continue smoking. Our findings point to the need to develop health warnings on tobacco products that are gender specific and focus on proximal social consequences to increase salience for young women smokers.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Gilbert
- School of Psychology, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
| | - A Ewald
- School of Psychology, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
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Cruwys T, Haslam C, Haslam SA, Dingle GA. Misery loves company: Predictors of treatment response to a loneliness intervention. Psychother Res 2022; 33:608-624. [DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2022.2143300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Tegan Cruwys
- Research School of Psychology, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
| | - Catherine Haslam
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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Zhang Q, Husnain M, Usman M, Akhtar MW, Ali S, Khan MA, Abbas Q, Ismail R, Rehman T, Akram M. Interplay of eco-friendly factors and islamic religiosity towards recycled package products: A cross-cultural study. Front Psychol 2022; 13:840711. [PMID: 36248529 PMCID: PMC9557231 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.840711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change has increasingly been recognised and associated with consumer behaviour: Practitioners are developing their strategies to reduce environmental degradation while increasing the management of sustainable consumption; it needs to better understand consumer attitudes and eco-friendly factors about the issue. Therefore, the current study focused to understand the effects of pro-environmental factors on individuals’ environmental attitudes (purchase behaviour towards products with recycled packaging) through the lens of theory of planned behaviour in a cross-cultural setting. Moreover, present research focuses on the moderating role that religiosity plays in causal pathways between certain determinants (attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control) and intentions in this context. A multi-wave time-lagged research design was employed in this study, and university students from two developing countries were surveyed (N = 324, 266). The findings revealed pronounced similarities between the two examined countries. Overwhelmingly, pro-environmental factors examined (environmental values, environmental knowledge, and environmental concern) were found to be positively related to attitude formation. Further results showed that attitude and subjective norms are significant predictors of the intention to purchase products with recycled packaging. Moreover, with the exception of perceived behavioural control, religiosity moderates the relationships between all the determinants of TPB and intention to purchase recycled packaged products. Present study offers insightful implications to management of these emerging and/or similar cultural markets regarding customer value for green products. Using TPB, present study broadened and deepen extant stream of literature on consumption of recycled packaged products in two highly emerging markets; Pakistan and Malaysia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qingyu Zhang
- Research Institute of Business Analytics and SCM, College of Management, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China
| | - Mudassir Husnain
- Division of Management and Administrative Sciences, UE Business School, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan
- *Correspondence: Mudassir Husnain,
| | - Muhammad Usman
- Division of Management and Administrative Sciences, UE Business School, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Waheed Akhtar
- Division of Management and Administrative Sciences, UE Business School, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan
- Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Sahiwal, Pakistan
| | - Saqib Ali
- Department of Management Sciences, COMSATS University Islamabad, Sahiwal, Pakistan
| | - Mussadiq Ali Khan
- Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Sarawak, Malaysia
| | - Qamar Abbas
- Division of Management and Administrative Sciences, UE Business School, University of Education, Lahore, Pakistan
- School of Management, Xian Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China
| | - Riffat Ismail
- Lahore Business School, University of Lahore, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Tayyab Rehman
- Lahore Business School, University of Lahore, Sargodha, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Akram
- Lahore Business School, University of Lahore, Sargodha, Pakistan
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Gilbert E, Ewald A. Fresher with flavour: young women smokers' constructions and experiences of menthol capsule cigarettes and regular cigarettes. BMC WOMENS HEALTH 2021; 21:155. [PMID: 33863322 PMCID: PMC8051088 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-021-01297-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background Flavour capsule cigarettes are one of the fastest growing segments of the tobacco market, and there is evidence that Australian young people are increasingly using menthol flavoured capsule cigarettes. This qualitative research examines how young women construct and experience menthol flavour capsule cigarettes as part of their smoking practices, and explores the perceived differences between menthol capsule cigarettes and regular cigarettes. Semi-structured face-to-face in-depth interviews were conducted with 41 Australian young women smokers, using a constructivist grounded theory approach. Results Findings reveal that the perceived fresh and improved taste of menthol and the ability to customise the smoking process positively contributed to young women’s experiences of smoking menthol capsule cigarettes. In particular, menthol capsule flavour cigarettes were constructed by the young women as “fresh”, “light” and “minty”, and “popping” the menthol capsule allowed the young women to personalise their smoking experience. Conclusion These results indicate that specific public health campaigns and legislation should be developed to counter the powerfully alluring effects and the innovative appeal of menthol capsule cigarettes. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12905-021-01297-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Gilbert
- School of Psychology, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia.
| | - A Ewald
- School of Psychology, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
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Seymour-Smith M, Cruwys T, Haslam SA. More to lose? Longitudinal evidence that women whose social support declines following childbirth are at increased risk of depression. Aust N Z J Public Health 2021; 45:338-343. [PMID: 33818864 DOI: 10.1111/1753-6405.13099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 11/01/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We examined the dynamic relationship between life changes (pregnancy and childbirth) and social support during the postpartum period. METHODS A large, nationally representative sample of Australian women (N=806) who completed the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia Survey (HILDA) in the year immediately before and immediately after giving birth to a child reported on measures of perceived social support and mental health. RESULTS Analyses indicated a decrease in both social support and mental health after having a baby. Social support during the postpartum period - controlling for social support and mental health prior to the birth of a baby - predicted better mental health in women. However, for women who experienced a decline in social support, prenatal social support was a risk factor for a decline in mental wellbeing rather than a protective factor. CONCLUSIONS Women who have 'more to lose' are at increased risk of mental ill-health if they cannot maintain existing sources of social support. Implications for public health: Loss of social support during pregnancy and the postpartum period should be considered as a significant risk factor for postpartum depression in its own right and one that warrants screening and intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tegan Cruwys
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland.,School of Psychology, The Australian National University, Australian Capital Territory
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Travaglino GA, Li Z, Zhang X, Lu X, Choi HS. We are all in this together: The role of individuals' social identities in problematic engagement with video games and the internet. BRITISH JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 59:522-548. [PMID: 32034792 DOI: 10.1111/bjso.12365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 01/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Individuals' engagement with video games and the internet features both social and potentially pathological aspects. In this research, we draw on the social identity approach and present a novel framework to understand the linkage between these two aspects. In three samples (Nstudy1 = 304, Nstudy2 = 160, and Nstudy3 = 782) of young Chinese people from two age groups (approximately 20 and 16 years old), we test the associations between relevant social identities and problematic engagement with video games and the internet. Across studies, we demonstrate that individuals' identification as 'gamers' or 'frequent internet users' predicts problematic engagement with video games and the internet through stronger perceived social support from such groups. Moreover, we demonstrate that individuals' identification as 'students' (Studies 2-3) is negatively associated with problematic engagement via social support from other students. Finally, in Study 3, we examine the articulation between social support from these three groups and subjective sense of loneliness. Findings indicate that, whereas perceived support from students is negatively associated with loneliness, the association between perceived support from gamers and internet users and loneliness is weaker and positive. Theoretical implications and directions for future research are discussed. Taken together, the studies highlight the importance of considering the social context of individuals' problematic engagement with technologies, and the role of different group memberships.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zhuo Li
- University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
| | - Xingruo Zhang
- The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, China
| | - Xian Lu
- University of Ferrara, Italy
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Nogueira SO, Tigova O, Castellano Y, Mons U, Kyriakos CN, McNeill A, Trofor AC, Zatoński WA, Przewoźniak K, Demjén T, Tountas Y, Quah ACK, Fong GT, Fu M, Vardavas CI, Fernández E. Cigarette brand loyalty among smokers in six European countries: Findings from the EUREST-PLUS ITC Europe Surveys. Tob Induc Dis 2019; 16:A12. [PMID: 31516466 PMCID: PMC6661850 DOI: 10.18332/tid/99116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Revised: 09/28/2018] [Accepted: 10/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study aims to describe the degree of smokers' loyalty to a specific brand of tobacco products and the variables related to choosing a specific brand among smokers in six European countries. METHODS A cross-sectional analysis was conducted for a representative sample of adult smokers from Germany, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Spain (approximately 1000 smokers per country). The prevalence of smokers' having a usual brand of cigarettes smoked (factory-made or roll-yourown cigarettes), the brand of choice, the factors for choosing a specific brand and the degree of loyalty to that brand (not at all, a little, somewhat and a lot) were assessed by country, sociodemographics and smoking-related variables. RESULTS In total, 86.6% of the smokers reported having a usual brand. In three out of the six countries, one brand holds the loyalty of between 17.8% and 24.5% of the smokers that reported having a usual brand for factory-made cigarettes. Most participants reported being loyal 'a lot' to their brand of choice (44.4%). The reasons most reported for choosing a cigarette brand were the taste (83.2%) and the price (51.7%). CONCLUSIONS Brand loyalty is high among factory-made and roll-your-own cigarette smokers in six European countries. Future research on longitudinal trends of brand loyalty to evaluate the effect of tobacco control policies in these European countries is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah O. Nogueira
- Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Barcelona, Spain
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Olena Tigova
- Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Barcelona, Spain
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Yolanda Castellano
- Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Barcelona, Spain
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Ute Mons
- Cancer Prevention Unit and WHO Collaborating Centre for Tobacco Control, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christina N. Kyriakos
- European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP), Brussels, Belgium
- University of Crete (UoC), Heraklion, Greece
| | - Ann McNeill
- UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, King’s College London (KCL), London, United Kingdom
| | - Antigona C. Trofor
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy ‘Grigore T. Popa’ Iasi, Iasi, Romania
- Aer Pur Romania, Bucharest, Romania
| | - Witold A. Zatoński
- Health Promotion Foundation (HPF), Warsaw, Poland
- European Observatory of Health Inequalities, President Stanisław Wojciechowski State University of Applied Sciences, Kalisz, Poland
| | - Krzysztof Przewoźniak
- Health Promotion Foundation (HPF), Warsaw, Poland
- Maria Skłodowska-Curie Institute-Oncology Center (MSCI), Warsaw, Poland
| | - Tibor Demjén
- Smoking or Health Hungarian Foundation (SHHF), Budapest, Hungary
| | - Yannis Tountas
- National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (UoA), Athens, Greece
| | - Anne C. K. Quah
- Department of Psychology and School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo (UW), Waterloo, Canada
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Canada
| | - Geoffrey T. Fong
- Department of Psychology and School of Public Health and Health Systems, University of Waterloo (UW), Waterloo, Canada
- Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Canada
| | - Marcela Fu
- Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Barcelona, Spain
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Constantine I. Vardavas
- European Network for Smoking and Tobacco Prevention (ENSP), Brussels, Belgium
- University of Crete (UoC), Heraklion, Greece
| | - Esteve Fernández
- Catalan Institute of Oncology (ICO), Barcelona, Spain
- Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL), Barcelona, Spain
- School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
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Lund I, Scheffels J. Adolescent perceptions of dissuasive sticks: a web survey among 16-20 year olds in Norway. BMC Public Health 2018; 18:974. [PMID: 30081848 PMCID: PMC6080395 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-5847-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background While increasingly stringent rules for cigarette pack design restrict the advertising potential of cigarette packs, the cigarette stick itself remains a potential medium for marketing. Common design features are filters, slim cigarettes and capsule cigarettes. Recent research indicates lower general appeal, more negative perceptions of taste, and greater harm for cigarettes designed to be unappealing (dissuasive sticks), and the aim for the current study was to investigate perceptions of dissuasive cigarette sticks among Norwegian adolescents, and learn about factors that might make cigarettes unappealing to them. Methods Two hundred eighty-one adolescents, 16–20 years old, smokers and non-smokers, assessed the appeal, taste, harmfulness, and which one they would most likely want to try, of 6 different cigarette sticks in a web survey. The cigarette sticks included two standard designs: cork and white filter sticks, and 4 dissuasive designs: green sticks, yellow sticks, and two white sticks with a health warning printed on the side. Results All dissuasive designs were perceived as less appealing, worse tasting, more harmful than the standard cork tip and white tip cigarettes. The dissuasive sticks were less often chosen as a cigarette one would want to try. The evaluations of designs were relatively similar across gender, smoking and snus use status, and smoking susceptibility. In multinomial regressions, perceptions of taste and harm differences were associated with perceived product trial. Conclusions This study supports earlier findings, and suggest that the use of unpleasant colours and warnings printed directly on cigarette sticks could increase perceived harmfulness, reduce notions of good taste, and possibly reduce desires to experiment with cigarettes in adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingeborg Lund
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs, PO Box 4404, Nydalen, N-0403, Oslo, Norway.
| | - Janne Scheffels
- Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs, PO Box 4404, Nydalen, N-0403, Oslo, Norway
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Perkins KA, Karelitz JL. Acute perceptions of preferred cigarettes when blinded to brand. Tob Control 2018; 28:311-316. [DOI: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 05/22/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
BackgroundMarketing claims often have promoted specific perceptions that users should expect from acutely smoking that cigarette brand. Yet, little controlled study has determined the degree to which actual perceptions are based on the cigarette’s tobacco constituents in the absence of knowledge about the brand’s identity.Methods194 adult dependent smokers rated their perceptions on ‘liking’, ‘satisfying’, ‘strong’ and perceived amount of ‘nicotine’ after smoking ad lib one of their preferred brands of cigarettes. All did so either when blinded (n=118) or unblinded (n=76) to the brand they were given, with the blinding conditions from separate studies. These between-groups secondary analyses determined differences in perceptions based on blinding to brand, controlling for age and cigarettes/day.ResultsAll perceptions were lower for those smoking own brand under blinded versus unblinded conditions, as hypothesised. Consistent with lowered perceptions for smoking one’s own brand obtained from the 118 blinded to brand, their ‘somewhat’ ratings for a ‘how similar to own brand’ item indicated uncertainty, just mid-way between ‘not at all’ and ‘very much’ on the 0–100 visual analogue scale. (The 76 unblinded were already informed it was their own brand.)ConclusionsAcute perceptions of one’s own cigarette are substantially lower when smokers are simply unaware of brand, relative to those aware it is their preferred brand. Results support the notion that perceptions of smoking own brand are enhanced by marketing efforts to associate brands with expectations of pleasurable subjective effects, beyond the impact due solely to the cigarette’s manufactured product constituents.
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Skaczkowski G, Durkin S, Kashima Y, Wakefield M. Influence of premium vs masked cigarette brand names on the experienced taste of a cigarette after tobacco plain packaging in Australia: an experimental study. BMC Public Health 2018. [PMID: 29526164 PMCID: PMC5846234 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-018-5200-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Few studies have experimentally assessed the contribution of branding to the experience of smoking a cigarette, compared with the inherent properties of the product. This study examined the influence of cigarette brand name on the sensory experience of smoking a cigarette. Methods Seventy-five Australian smokers aged 18–39 years smoked two ‘premium’ cigarettes, one with the brand variant name shown and one with the brand variant name masked (which provided ‘objective’ ratings). Unknown to participants, the two cigarettes were identical. At recruitment, participants rated their expected enjoyment, quality and harshness of several premium cigarette brands. Results Branded cigarettes were rated as having a significantly more favorable taste (M(SE) = 64.14(2.21)) than masked cigarettes (M(SE) = 58.53(2.26), p = .031). Branded cigarettes were also rated as being less stale (M(SE) = 36.04(2.62)) than masked cigarettes (M(SE) = 43.90(2.60), p = .011). Purchase intent tended to be higher among those shown the branded cigarette compared to the masked cigarette (χ2 (1) = 3.00, p = .083). Expected enjoyment and quality of the brand variant (enjoyment: b = 0.31, 95%CI = 0.11, 0.51, p < .01; quality: b = 0.46, 95%CI = 0.21, 0.72, p < .01) contributed to the perceived smoking experience more than the objective enjoyment and quality of the cigarette (enjoyment: b = 0.23, 95%CI = 0.05, 0.41, p < .05; quality: b = 0.08, 95%CI = − 0.13, 0.30, p > .05). This pattern was not observed for cigarette harshness. Conclusions A premium brand variant name can enhance the subjective experience of a cigarette. Further, smokers’ expectations of such brand variants contribute to the smoking experience as much, if not more than, the actual qualities of the product.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gemma Skaczkowski
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, 615 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Sarah Durkin
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, 615 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia
| | - Yoshihisa Kashima
- University of Melbourne, School of Psychological Sciences, Redmond Barry Building, Parkville, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia
| | - Melanie Wakefield
- Centre for Behavioural Research in Cancer, Cancer Council Victoria, 615 St Kilda Road, Melbourne, VIC, 3004, Australia.
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