Widespread belief that organic and additive-free tobacco products are less harmful than regular tobacco products: results from the 2017 US Health Information National Trends Survey
A partir des données d'une enquête réalisée en 2017 auprès d'un échantillon représentatif de la population américaine, cette étude analyse l'effet des mentions "bio" ou "sans additifs" sur la perception des dangers du tabac pour la santé des adultes, en fonction de critères sociodémographiques
SIGNIFICANCE : U.S. smokers of Natural American Spirit, a brand marketed as “organic” and “additive-free,” are more likely than other cigarette smokers to believe that their brand might be less harmful than other brands. This paper: 1) describes the prevalence of belief that “organic” and “additive-free” tobacco is less harmful than regular tobacco products in the U.S. population; and, 2) describes the sociodemographic characteristics of adults who believe tobacco products with these descriptors are less harmful.
METHODS : Data were drawn from the 2017 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults. Logistic regression models were used to examine correlates of the belief that “organic” or “additive-free” tobacco products are less harmful than a regular tobacco products.
RESULTS : Overall, 26.7% of U.S. adults and 45.3% of adult smokers believe that “organic” tobacco products are less harmful than regular tobacco products. Similarly, 35.2% of U.S. adults and 47.1% of smokers believe that “additive-free” tobacco products are less harmful. When examining gender, age, education, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and smoking status, only age (aOR ~0.98, 95% CI: 0.97, 0.99 for both outcomes) and smoking status (current vs. never smokers, aOR ~1.78, 95% CI 1.03, 3.07 for both outcomes) were correlates of believing that “organic” or “additive-free” tobacco is less harmful than regular tobacco products.
CONCLUSIONS : Belief that “organic” and “additive-free” tobacco products are less harmful than other products is widespread. Younger adults and current smokers are most likely to be misinformed by “organic” or “additive-free” tobacco product descriptors.
IMPLICATIONS : Belief that “organic” and “additive-free” tobacco products are less harmful than other products is widespread among U.S. adults and most prevalent among smokers. Removal of terms that incorrectly imply reduced harm may correct current and future consumers’ misperceptions about the brand.
Nicotine & Tobacco Research , résumé, 2018