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Context and Subjective Experience Surrounding Dual Cigarette and E-Cigarette Use

Principal Investigator: Robin Mermelstein

Funding Mechanism: National Institutes of Health - Grant

ID number: 1 R01 CA184681-01A1

Award Date: 8/10/2015

Institution: University of Illinois at Chicago

More information is needed about e-cigarette use and its association with other factors, such as continued use of conventional cigarettes, nicotine dependence, and changes in tobacco use patterns.  This project will use Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), a research methodology that gathers information about real-world experiences in real time, to collect reports of dual product (cigarette and e-cigarette) users' daily tobacco use. Researchers will examine how the immediate context of tobacco use and individuals’ subjective reactions vary by product and individual characteristics and influence future use patterns. Researchers will recruit 450 adult cigarette smokers (ages 18 and older) who also use or report that they are likely to use e-cigarettes and conduct two one-week waves of EMA using smartphone interview “apps” and biweekly email surveys for one year. Specific aims are: (1) to examine the contexts of tobacco use (e.g., mood, alcohol use) and how they vary by product and individual differences (e.g., demographics, tobacco history, dependence) in order to understand the functional value of e-cigarettes; (2) to examine real-time withdrawal, cravings, and satisfaction with tobacco products and how these affect transitions in tobacco use; and (3) to examine how tobacco cues relate to tobacco use experiences, contexts, and patterns of use. This information may inform regulatory activities related to e-cigarettes.