Electronic cigarette survey characteristics

Figures & data

Table 1. Study goals of surveys analyzed in this project.

Berg [19]^a. How often are current smokers interested in using or switching to e-cigarettes and what are the correlates of interest in using or switching to e-cigarettes? PhD^b, University^c, JS-nicotine, drug, tobacco research, IF-4.6

Brown [30]. How effective are e-cigarettes compared to nicotine replacement therapy bought over-the-counter in smokers attempting to stop smoking? PhD, University, JS-nicotine, drug, tobacco research, IF-6.9

Christensen [21]. What is the profile of the e-cigarettes users in adults in Kansas and is there an association with quit attempts and abstinence? Masters Public Health, State Depart Health, JS-environmental, public, preventive health, IF-3.4

Coleman [22]. Is the use of e-cigarettes in young non-smokers associated with being open to future conventional cigarette smoking? Masters Public Health, US Food Drug Administration, JS-nicotine, drug, tobacco research, IF-4.6

Farsalinos [23]. What are the characteristics of e-cigarettes use and the perceived benefits? MD, Research Center, JS- Environmental, public, preventive health, IF-1.5

Goniewicz [24]. What are the reasons and patterns of use of electronic cigarettes among users in Poland and what are their attitudes towards e-cigarettes? PhD, Research Center, JS-nicotine, drug, tobacco research, IF-2.9

Hiscock [25]. How often do clinicians involved in the smoking cessation programs receive questions about e-cigarettes? Do these clinicians consider e-cigarettes a positive or negative development? PhD, Research Center, JS-nicotine, drug, tobacco research, IF-2.1

Hummel [29]. What is the prevalence of e-cigarettes awareness and use and what are the characteristics of tobacco smokers who have used e-cigarettes in the Netherlands? PhD, University, JS-nicotine, drug, tobacco research, IF-4.2

Kasza [26]. What are the demographics and smoking-related predictors of the use of unconventional tobacco products, including e-cigarettes, in cigarette smokers? What are the predictors of the use of these products as an alternative to quit smoking? MA, Research Center, JS-nicotine, drug, tobacco research, IF-4.6 MA, Research center

Lechne [27]. What is the effect of the duration of e-cigarettes use on current cigarette smoking, the dependence on e-cigarettes, the frequency of use of e-cigarettes, and the strength of nicotine solution? Masters of Science, University, JS-nicotine, drug, tobacco research, IF-4.6

Li [28]. What is the use, perception, and acceptability of e-cigarettes in New Zealand? PhD, Government agency, JS- broad coverage, IF-0.7

Martinez-Sanchez [31]. What is the support for and the correlates of the use of e-cigarettes and indoor work places and selected public and private places? PhD, Research Center, JS-broad coverage, IF-2.8

Choi [20]. What are the characteristics associated with awareness and use of e-cigarettes among young adults? What are the characteristics associated with selective perceptions of electronic cigarettes? PhD, University, JS-environmental, public, preventive health, IF-4.1

^aReference number.

^bTerminal degree of first author.

^cOrganization employing first author.

JS, journal scope; IF, journal impact factor.

Table 2. Study design.

Author, reference	Study population # responses	Age/gender Race/ethnicity	Location
Berg [19] 2015	Cross sectional survey of online panel 2,501	Y, Y Y	USA, oversample Southeast USA
Brown [30] 2014	Cross sectional representative sample 5,863	Y, Y N	England
Christensen [21] 2014	Population-based random sample 9656	Y, Y Y	Kansas, USA
Coleman [22] 2015	Nat Adult Tobacco Survey, nationally representative, subgroup 18–29 4,310	Y, Y Y	USA
Farsalinos [23] 2014	E-cig users, current, former, never cig smokers 19,414	Y, Y Translation into 10 languages	Europe, Americas, Asia, Australia, Africa
Goniewicz [24] 2013	E-cig smokers 179	Y, Y N	Poland
Hiscock [25] 2014	Smoking cessation advisers 587	N, N N	England
Hummel [29] 2015	Current smokers 6,602	Y, Y N	Netherlands
Kasza [26] 2014	Adult smokers 6,110	Y, Y Y	USA
Lechner [27] 2015	Customers – E-cig retail locations 159	Y, Y Y	Oklahoma, USA
Li [28] 2013	Current and recent quitters 840	Y, Y Y	New Zealand
Martinez-Sanchez [31] 2014	Representative sample of adults in Barcelona 736	Y, Y NR	Barcelona, Spain
Choi [20] 2013	Population-based prospective cohort 2,624	Y, Y Y	Minnesota and surrounding states, USA

Y, yes; N, no; NR, not reported.

Table 3. Study contact method and answer format.

Author, year Reference #	Contact method; Response rate [8]	Language	Answer reporting format
Berg [19]	On line survey; 32% participation rate overall	English	Y, N, Likert
Brown [30]	Face-to-face interviews; NR	English	Y, N
Christensen [21]	Telephone – landline, cell NR	English	Y, N, Likert
Coleman [22]	Telephone; 44.9%	English	Y,N, Likert
Farsalinos [23]	Web site for EC advocates; NR	10 different languages	Y, N, Likert
Goniewicz [24]	Internet – 16 discussion forums, retail outlets – 5; NR	Polish	Multiple short answers
Hiscock [25]	2 on line surveys in 2011 and 2013; 5.6%	English	Multiple choice, free text
Hummel [29]	Web database interview NR	Dutch	Y, N, Likert
Kasza [26]	Interview by telephone; 21–35%	English	Y, N, how often
Lechner [27]	Direct contact NR	English	Usually single answer
Li [28]	Random digit dialing, interviews; NR	English	Y, N, Likert
Martinez-Sanchez [31]	Face-to-face interviews; 72.9%	Spanish	Y, N, Likert
Choi [20]	Computer-assisted telephone interview; 68.9%	English	Y, N, Likert

^aResponse rate calculations were not uniform and depended on the study.

Y, yes; N, no; NR, not reported.

Table 4. Study analysis and quality.

Author, reference	Reliability testing	Internal validity	External validity	Descriptive statistics	Modeling statistics
Berg [19]	Yes	ND	Yes, at country level	Y	Logistic regression, cluster analysis
Brown [30]	NR	ND	Limited to smokers trying to quit	y	Logistic regression
Christensen [21]	NR	ND	Yes, at state level	Y	Logistic regression
Coleman [22]	Reported some missing data	ND	Yes, young adults at country level	Y	Logistic regression
Farsalinos [23]	NR	ND	Yes, E-cig users world wide	Y	Logistic regression
Goniewicz [24]	Eliminated surveys with inconsistent answers	ND	Limited, small sample size	Y	N
Hiscock [25]	Did a limited pilot study	ND	Limited, unique survey group	Y	N
Hummel [29]	Reported some missing data	ND	Yes, at country level	Y	Logistic regression
Kasza [26]	NR	ND	Yes, at country level	Y	Logistic regression
Lechner [27]	NR	ND	Limited, unique survey group	Y	Linear & logistic regression
Li [28]	NR	ND	Yes, at country level	Y	Logistic regression
Martinez-Sanchez [31]	NR	ND	Limited, at city level	Y	Logistic regression
Choi [20]	NR	ND	Yes, young adults	Y	Linear models

Y, yes; N,no; NR, not reported; ND, not discussed.

Table 5. Study conclusions and limitations.

Berg [19]. Current smokers have a higher interest in using e-cigarettes than smokeless tobacco for smoking cessation, harm reduction, and novelty. Limitations include sample from a consumer panel, cross-sectional study design, and self-reporting.

Brown [30]. Smokers trying to stop smoking without professional support are more likely to report abstinence if they use e-cigarettes than smokers who use a nicotine replacement product or no aid. Limitations include abstinence not verified, recall data, multiple products available for nicotine replacement therapy and electronic cigarettes.

Christensen [21]. Electronic cigarette use is associated with cessation attempts but not with cigarette abstinence. Limitations include cross-sectional study design, self-reporting, underreporting.

Coleman [22]. This study demonstrates that the ‘ever use’ of e-cigarettes is associated with being ‘open’ to smoking cigarettes. Limitations include cross-sectional survey design, observational data, self-reporting, limited sample size of young adults who have never tried cigarette smoking.

Farsalinos [23]. Electronic cigarettes are used as long-term substitutes for smoking. Limitations include convenience sample of dedicated users.

Goniewicz [24]. Electronic cigarette users in Poland primarily use these products as an aid to smoking cessation and to reduce harm. Limitations include no control group to evaluate adverse effects, small sample size.

Hiscock [25]. There is substantial interest in using e-cigarettes to support quit attempts by smokers seeking smoking cessation services. There is no consensus among advisers as to whether or not e-cigarettes are a positive or negative development. Limitations include small sample size, recall needed to describe clients’ experiences, uncertain basis for practitioners’ opinions.

Hummel [29]. Over time e-cigarettes are increasingly used by Dutch smokers. Common motivations include to reduce tobacco smoking and to use alternative less harmful nicotine products. Limitations include cross-sectional data, small sample size, a limited number of reasons available to choose for use, uncertain timing for use of smoking cessation pharmacology.

Kasza [26]. Fewer than 15% of cigarette smokers reported using unconventional tobacco products. The use of these products was more prevalent in adults aged 18–24. Limitations include survey response rates.

Lechner [27]. The daily consumption of traditional cigarettes decreased with increasing duration of e-cigarette use. Limitations include the followwing: The participants were identified at the retail e-cigarette stores, cross-sectional design, retrospective reporting of behavior, self-reporting.

Li [28]. The use of e-cigarettes by smokers and recent smokers is uncommon in New Zealand. Limitations include use of the question on “ever-purchase” instead of “ever-use”, asked about the acceptability of e-cigarettes as a cheaper alternative to tobacco cigarettes and a cessation product but not about other purposes, general lack of knowledge of e-cigarettes in survey population.

Martinez-Sanchez [31]. One half of the general population in Barcelona did not support the use of e-cigarettes in work places or public places. Limitations include overestimation of older participants in the survey, non-uniform information regarding of e-cigarettes.

Choi [20]. More than two thirds of young adults in this sample were aware of e-cigarettes. Perceptions included help with smoking cessation, less harm, and less addiction. Limitations included cross-sectional not longitudinal design, regional sample, self-reporting.

Table 6. Study analysis based on current recommendations.

Core items in population surveys – Pearson et al. (8 core items) [16]
Studies	Ever use			Frequency^a	Harm		Former use		Device		Nicotine	Flavor			Reason
13 Total	13			6	9		10		1		4	0			9
Survey measures – Weaver et al. (5 core items) [14]
Studies		Ever use			Frequency^b			Flavors			Device			Nicotine
13 Total		13			5			0			1			4
Perceptions – Gibson et al. (4 core items) [15]
Studies			Benefit			Harm				Addiction			Social norm
13 Total			8			6				3			3

^aFrequency was defined as how often do you currently use EC (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.).

^bThe suggested definition was the number of days EC were used in the last 30 days.

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