Profiles of tobacco product use and related consumer characteristics in the US and Israel: A multiple-group latent class analysis

ABSTRACT

Despite tobacco marketing diversification, limited research has examined use profiles across countries, particularly in relation to consumer values (e.g. appeal of innovation, conscientiousness). Using 2021 data, latent class analysis assessed past-month use of seven tobacco products (cigarettes, electronic cigarettes [e-cigarettes], heated tobacco products, cigars, hookah, pipe, smokeless) among adults reporting past-month use in the United States (US n = 382) and Israel (n = 561). Multivariable multinomial regression examined consumer values and sociodemographics in relation to country-specific class membership. US classes included: primarily cigarette 58.1%; e-cigarette–no cigarette 17.5%; primarily cigar 14.9%; and poly-product 9.9%. Higher innovation correlated with e-cigarette–no cigarette and poly-product (vs. primarily cigarette) use. Other correlates included being: younger with e-cigarette–no cigarette; male, Black, and more educated with primarily cigar; and Black and Asian (vs. White) with poly-product. Israel classes included: primarily cigarette 39.0%; moderate poly-product 40.3%; high poly-product 13.4%; and hookah 7.3%. Lower conscientiousness correlated with moderate poly-product (vs. primarily cigarette) use; higher innovation correlated with high poly-product; lower innovation correlated with hookah. Other correlates included being: younger, male, and more educated with moderate poly-product; male and sexual minority with high poly-product; and Arab with hookah. Tobacco consumer segments within and across countries likely reflect different consumer values and industry marketing targets.

KEYWORDS:

• Tobacco use
• alternative tobacco products
• e-cigarettes
• latent class analysis
• psychosocial factors
• tobacco control

Acknowledgements

Conceptualisation: YW, CRL, YC, ZD, YBZ, HL, LCA, AK, CJB. Methodology: YW, CJB. Validation: YW, CJB. Formal analysis: YW, CJB. Investigation: YBZ, HL, CJB. Data Curation: YW, ZD, CJB. Writing – Original Draft: YW, CJB. Writing – Review & Editing: YW, CRL, YC, ZD, YBZ, HL, LCA, AK, CJB. Visualisation: YW, CJB. Supervision: YBZ, HL, CJB. Project administration: YBZ, HL, CJB. Funding acquisition: YBZ, HL, CJB.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This research was funded by the US National Cancer Institute (NCI) [grant number 01CA239178, MPIs: Berg, Levine]. NCI had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the paper for publication.