New York University, New York, NY, USA.
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
Health Educ Behav. 2020 Apr;47(2):284-292. doi: 10.1177/1090198119897608. Epub 2020 Jan 31.
Despite declines in overall cigarette smoking in the United States, menthol cigarette smoking prevalence has increased among young adults (18-25 years) and remains constant among older adults (26 years and older). Disparities in menthol cigarette use exist, with higher prevalence among younger adult smokers and among racial/ethnic minority populations. Menthol in cigarettes has been shown to play a role in increasing smoking initiation and making it more difficult to quit smoking. Little research focuses on perceptions of the addictive potential and health consequences of menthol cigarette use. This analysis uses data from a national panel of U.S. adults ( = 1,303) surveyed in 2016. Participants were asked to what extent they agreed with various statements regarding menthol use among demographic and tobacco use subgroups. These data reveal disparities in perceptions of the impact of menthol use, with Black, non-Hispanic, and Hispanic adults and adults with lower income and less education misperceiving the health effects and addiction potential of menthol in cigarettes. Determining how and to what extent population subgroups understand the effect of menthol cigarette use can inform public education strategies and, in turn, policy efforts to ban or restrict menthol cigarette availability.
尽管美国的整体吸烟率有所下降，但薄荷醇香烟的流行率在年轻人（18-25 岁）中有所上升，在老年人（26 岁及以上）中保持不变。薄荷醇香烟的使用存在差异，在年轻成年吸烟者和少数族裔人群中更为普遍。研究表明，香烟中的薄荷醇会增加吸烟的开始，使戒烟更加困难。很少有研究关注薄荷醇香烟使用的成瘾潜力和健康后果的认知。本分析使用了 2016 年对美国成年人（n=1303）进行的全国性小组调查的数据。参与者被要求在多大程度上同意有关人口统计学和烟草使用亚组中薄荷醇使用的各种说法。这些数据显示了对薄荷醇使用影响的认知存在差异，黑人、非西班牙裔和西班牙裔成年人以及收入较低和教育程度较低的成年人对香烟中薄荷醇的健康影响和成瘾潜力存在误解。确定人口亚组如何以及在多大程度上理解薄荷醇香烟使用的影响，可以为公共教育策略提供信息，并进而为禁止或限制薄荷醇香烟供应的政策努力提供信息。
