Kim Hyoshin, Davis Andrew H, Dohack Jaime L, Clark Pamela I
Battelle Memorial Institute, Seattle, WA;
Battelle Memorial Institute, Seattle, WA.
Nicotine Tob Res. 2017 Feb;19(2):190-196. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntw175. Epub 2016 Jul 13.
To gain a better understanding of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use behavior and experience among adult e-cigarette users, with the goal of informing development of future e-cigarette use measures.
Between August and October 2014 six focus groups were conducted in Seattle. Participants (63% male; 60% >35 years old; 60% White): e-cigarette users who used combustible tobacco products either currently or in the past. E-cigarette discussion topics covered: their daily use pattern (eg, frequency), product-related characteristics (eg, nicotine levels), and perceptions about health risks and benefits.
Participants' descriptions of daily use were so varied that no common "unit" of a "session" easily summarized frequency or quantity of typical e-cigarette use. Most users had difficulty in tracking their own use. Participants reported nicotine craving relief when using e-cigarettes, but described e-cigarettes use as less satisfying than combustible cigarettes. Valued characteristics included "ready availability" and the possibility of using indoors. A unique aspect of the e-cigarette use experience is the option of adding flavors and having the ability to exhale "big clouds" of vapor/aerosol. Most perceived e-cigarettes as a better and safer alternative to conventional cigarettes, yet still sought further information about health consequences and safety of e-cigarettes from trusted sources.
E-cigarettes users are far from homogeneous in their behavior and motivation for adopting e-cigarettes. A range of use patterns arising from both hedonic and utilitarian factors, along with product characteristics (eg, variable nicotine levels and flavors) extending beyond those of conventional cigarettes, suggest that new, specific e-cigarette use measures must be developed.
The current study provides timely information on adult e-cigarette use behavior, which is a crucial step in measuring this new phenomenon and assessing the risks associated with using e-cigarette products. Our findings reveal that vaping is not a mere replacement for combustible cigarette smoking and that many users of e-cigarettes enjoy product characteristics such as flavors and "clouds" that are unavailable in combustible cigarettes. Therefore, commonly available cigarette smoking measures are not well suited to measurement of e-cigarette use behavior, and indication that new measures need to be developed to accurately track e-cigarette use.
更好地了解成年电子烟使用者的电子烟使用行为和体验，为未来电子烟使用措施的制定提供依据。
2014年8月至10月期间，在西雅图进行了6次焦点小组讨论。参与者（63%为男性；60%年龄大于35岁；60%为白人）：目前或过去使用可燃烟草制品的电子烟使用者。电子烟讨论主题包括：他们的日常使用模式（如频率）、与产品相关的特征（如尼古丁含量）以及对健康风险和益处的看法。
参与者对日常使用的描述差异很大，以至于没有一个常见的“使用时段”单位能够轻松概括典型电子烟使用的频率或数量。大多数使用者难以追踪自己的使用情况。参与者报告称使用电子烟时尼古丁渴望得到缓解，但认为电子烟的使用不如可燃香烟令人满意。他们看重的特征包括“随时可用”以及能够在室内使用。电子烟使用体验的一个独特方面是可以添加口味并能够呼出“大团”蒸汽/气溶胶。大多数人认为电子烟是传统香烟更好、更安全的替代品，但仍寻求从可靠来源获取更多有关电子烟健康后果和安全性的信息。
电子烟使用者在采用电子烟的行为和动机方面差异很大。享乐主义和功利主义因素导致了一系列使用模式，以及超出传统香烟的产品特征（如可变尼古丁含量和口味），这表明必须制定新的、具体的电子烟使用措施。
本研究提供了关于成年电子烟使用行为的及时信息，这是衡量这一新现象以及评估与使用电子烟产品相关风险的关键一步。我们的研究结果表明，吸电子烟不仅仅是对可燃香烟吸烟的简单替代，而且许多电子烟使用者喜欢可燃香烟所没有的口味和“烟雾”等产品特征。因此，常用的香烟吸烟测量方法不太适合测量电子烟使用行为，这表明需要制定新的措施来准确追踪电子烟的使用情况。
