Assessing Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Device Type Accurately in Surveys

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Tobacco Control
• Survey Methodology

Background:

• The electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) market is rapidly evolving and highly diverse in the US.
• Accurate classification of ENDS devices is challenging for surveys, impacting research and regulatory efforts.
• Understanding user-reported device types is crucial for assessing population-level health effects and behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the concordance between self-reported ENDS device types and manufacturer/retailer classifications for specific brands.
• To identify potential inaccuracies in survey data collection for ENDS device types.
• To inform improvements in survey methodologies for ENDS research.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study wave 5 (2018-2019).
• Included adult ENDS users reporting JUUL, Markten, or Vuse brands (n=656).
• Dichotomized responses comparing self-reported device type against manufacturer/retailer data for concordance analysis.

Main Results:

• Overall concordance between self-reports and manufacturer data was 81.8%.
• Concordance varied by brand: Vuse (82.7%), JUUL (82.6%), and Markten (69.1%).
• A significant portion of Markten users (nearly one-third) did not accurately report their device type.

Conclusions:

• While overall concordance is substantial, specific brands like Markten show lower accuracy.
• Enhancing survey questions with more detail (e.g., liquid container type, refillability, images) can improve ENDS device classification.
• Accurate ENDS data is critical for regulatory bodies monitoring toxicity, addiction, and health impacts.