How U.S. Adults Find Out About Electronic Cigarettes: Implications for Public Health Messages
Menée à partir d'une enquête en ligne réalisée en 2013 auprès d'un échantillon national de 17 522 adultes âgés de 18 ans ou plus, cette étude américaine évalue leur niveau de connaissance de la cigarette électronique, identifie leurs sources d'informations sur ce produit et en déduit des recommandations pour la conception de campagnes de santé publique
Introduction: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are battery-powered nicotine delivery systems that have become increasingly popular in the United States. We sought to understand how U.S. adults hear about e-cigarettes. Methods: A U.S. national sample of 17,522 adults (≥18 years old) completed an online survey in March 2013 assessing their awareness of and sources of information about e-cigarettes. Results: Most respondents (86%) had heard of e-cigarettes. Current and former smokers were more likely to be aware of e-cigarettes than non-smokers. Males, younger adults, non-Hispanic Whites, and those with higher education were also more likely to have heard of e-cigarettes than females, older adults, other races or ethnicities, or those with lower education. The most commonly reported sources of information were another person, ads on television, and seeing e-cigarettes being sold, although the relative frequency of these sources differed for current, former, and never-smokers. Former and current smokers were more likely to have heard about e-cigarettes from e-cigarette users than were never-smokers. Adults age 30 or younger were more likely than adults over age 30 to have heard about e-cigarettes online. Conclusions: Nearly all U.S. adults had heard of e-cigarettes in 2013. By focusing on the most common channels of information, public health campaigns can more efficiently communicate information about e-cigarette safety and consider necessary regulations should companies use these channels for marketing that targets youth, non-tobacco users, and other at-risk groups.