Recommended core items to assess e-cigarette use in population-based surveys.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Assessing e-cigarette use is crucial for understanding population health impacts.
• Current methods lack standardization, hindering cross-survey and cross-national comparisons.
• Evolving e-cigarette products necessitate updated assessment tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a standardized set of items for assessing adult e-cigarette use behavior.
• To provide recommendations for reliable and valid measurement of e-cigarette constructs.
• To inform policy-making through improved knowledge synthesis.

Main Methods:

• Development of proposed items based on international expert discussions.
• Focus on core constructs including ever use, frequency, former daily use, perceived harm, device type, flavors, nicotine presence, and reasons for use.
• Recommendations for item standardization and adaptation.

Main Results:

• A minimum set of eight core constructs for e-cigarette use assessment is recommended.
• Proposed items cover key aspects of e-cigarette consumption and user behavior.
• Guidance is provided on constructs to avoid without further development.

Conclusions:

• Standardized assessment items will strengthen e-cigarette research and facilitate policy evaluation.
• The proposed items serve as a foundation for consensus and cross-jurisdictional comparisons.
• Continuous refinement of assessment tools is necessary as the e-cigarette landscape evolves.