Description
This is an online experimental study which aimed to compare the effects of viewing two different health messages presented on e-cigarette packs. The messages were the EU Tobacco Product Directive (TPD) message, “This product contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance. [It is not recommended for non-smokers]” and a comparative harm message (COMP), “Use of this product is much less harmful than smoking”. E-cigarette packs with no message served as a control condition. 2495 UK residents (1283 smokers and 1212 non-smokers) provided rating on the following dependent variables (DVs): harm, addictiveness, e-cigarette effectiveness for smoking cessation, social acceptability, intentions to purchase and use e-cigarettes, before (pre/Time 1) and after (post/Time 2) viewing the e-cigarette packs. Smokers also rated intentions to quit and intentions to quit using an e-cigarette. In some conditions, the TPD and COMP messages were presented alone, and in some conditions, they were presented together.
Primary Analysis: used a series of ANCOVAs with 3 between subjects factors: Smoking Status (Smoker vs. Non-smoker); TPD Presence (Present vs. Absent); and COMP Presence (Present vs. Absent). DVs were Time 2 ratings of harm, addictiveness, social acceptability, effectiveness, intention to quit, intention to purchase, and intention to use e-cigarettes, controlling for Time 1 measurements. Planned a-priori comparisons, at each level of smoking status were conducted between a) TPD alone vs. i) TPD+COMP, ii) no TPD/no COMP iii) no TPD/COMP; and COMP alone vs. i) TPD+COMP, ii) no TPD/no COMP, iii) TPD/no COMP.
Secondary Analysis: The above ANCOVAs were repeated i) controlling for cigarette dependence, previous e-cigarette exposure, and baseline intentions to quit and, ii) exploring the interactions with demographic variables (age, sex and occupation).
Funding: This study was funded by Cancer Research UK’s Population Research Committee (CRUK Grant Number: 25855).
Link to protocol: https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-018-6161-7
Link to trial registry: https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN76967031
Link to published paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306460319308846?via%3Dihub
Link to OSF with secondary analysis by sociodemographic factors: https://osf.io/fhwnq
Primary Analysis: used a series of ANCOVAs with 3 between subjects factors: Smoking Status (Smoker vs. Non-smoker); TPD Presence (Present vs. Absent); and COMP Presence (Present vs. Absent). DVs were Time 2 ratings of harm, addictiveness, social acceptability, effectiveness, intention to quit, intention to purchase, and intention to use e-cigarettes, controlling for Time 1 measurements. Planned a-priori comparisons, at each level of smoking status were conducted between a) TPD alone vs. i) TPD+COMP, ii) no TPD/no COMP iii) no TPD/COMP; and COMP alone vs. i) TPD+COMP, ii) no TPD/no COMP, iii) TPD/no COMP.
Secondary Analysis: The above ANCOVAs were repeated i) controlling for cigarette dependence, previous e-cigarette exposure, and baseline intentions to quit and, ii) exploring the interactions with demographic variables (age, sex and occupation).
Funding: This study was funded by Cancer Research UK’s Population Research Committee (CRUK Grant Number: 25855).
Link to protocol: https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-018-6161-7
Link to trial registry: https://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN76967031
Link to published paper: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306460319308846?via%3Dihub
Link to OSF with secondary analysis by sociodemographic factors: https://osf.io/fhwnq
| Date made available | 22 Dec 2023 |
|---|---|
| Publisher | London South Bank University |
| Date of data production | 1 Dec 2018 - 31 Jan 2019 |
Keywords for datasets
- Keyword
- electronic cigarettes
- warning labels
- Tobacco Products Directive
- Health messages
- Risk perceptions
- Quit intentions
Data Collection Method
- Description
- Data were collected between December 2018 and January 2019 from 2495 UK residents (1283 smokers and 1212 non-smokers. Participants were enrolled via a recruitment panel agency MRFGR (Market Research Focus Group Recruiter) which used a point-based system for payment with each participant receiving 6 points for participation. The sample was matched to the target population of non-smokers and smokers’ demographics in the general population using ONS data concerning age, gender and socio-economic status (SES). Inclusion criteria were: adults aged 18+, resident in the UK, and fluent in English. Exclusion criteria were: under 18 years of age, resident outside of the UK, exclusive vapers, dual users (concurrent use of EC and any tobacco product).
- Participants first provided demographic information and smokers were asked about their cigarette dependence (using the Fagerström Test of Cigarette Dependence; FTCD) and motivation to quit (using the Motivation to Stop Smoking Scale; MTSS). Before presentation of the e-cigarette packs, all participants were asked about e-cigarette perceived harm, addictiveness, social acceptability, effectiveness, intentions to purchase and use of e-cigarettes (each rated on 7-point Likert Scales). Smokers were also asked about their intentions to quit and intentions to use e-cigarettes in future quit attempts. Each participant was then randomised to one of six messages displayed on EC pack images:
- TPD1 – shorter version of the TPD health warning as used in the UK TPD2 – longer version of the TPD health warning, including ‘It is not recommended for non-smokers” COMP health message TPD1 + COMP TPD2 + COMP No message
- They then viewed four EC packs containing one of the messages as above each for 30 seconds. This was followed by some unrelated filler questions (e.g. “which e-cigarette did you think looked most like a cigarette?”) used to minimise bias. Then the same questions (perceived harm, addictiveness etc) were completed again. Finally, participants were asked to freely recall the message and to recognise it from a list of all messages presented. Time 1 and 2 measures are labelled as ‘pre’ and ‘post’ in the SPSS dataset.
- As per our published protocol, outliers were calculated (±2.5 SD) for each variable. Variables to identify outliers by message type and smoking status are included at the end of the SPSS datafile. Variable List (Data Dictionary)
- V1 & 2: Participant ID numbers V3 & 4: Used for the independent variables to code whether a) TPD and b) COMP messages is present or absent V5 – 12: Demographic information, age, sex, gender, ethnicity, occupational status V13 – 21: Smoking status, frequency & quit attempts V22 – 27: Methods used in quit attempts V28: Past e-cigarette use
- V29: Motivation to Stop Smoking Scale (MTSS) V30 – 36: Fagerström Test of Cigarette Dependence (FTCD) individual items and total score V37 – 40: Pre-exposure ratings of e-cigarette harmfulness, addictiveness, effectiveness for smoking cessation and social acceptability. V41 – 44: Post-exposure ratings of e-cigarette harmfulness, addictiveness, effectiveness for smoking cessation and social acceptability. V45 – 48: Pre-exposure ratings of intentions to purchase and use e-cigarettes in the next month and 6-months V49 – 52: For smokers only, pre-exposure ratings of intentions to quit and to quit using an e-cigarette in the next month and next 6-months V53 – 56: Post-exposure ratings of intentions to purchase and use e-cigarettes in the next month and 6-months
- V57 – 60: For smokers only, post-exposure ratings of intentions to quit and to quit using an e-cigarette in the next month and next 6-months V61 – 64: Filler questions V65: Message condition (1-6) V66 – 70: Recall questions related to noticing the message, free-recall & recognition V71: Device used to complete the survey V72: Conditions used for planned comparisons TPD (any) alone; COMP alone; both TPD & COMP; neither V73 – 98: Used for identifying outliers for each DV by message type and smoking status.