Variation in Relative Risk Perceptions and Tobacco Use by Race and Socioeconomic Status Among Older Adults Who Smoke: Evidence From the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study.

INTRODUCTION

Older adults who smoke face significant risk of tobacco-related diseases and hold misperceptions about health risks posed by nicotine product use. This study examined whether socioeconomic status (SES) and race are associated with variation in cigarette/e-cigarette relative risk perceptions, whether relative risk perceptions are associated with tobacco use behaviors, and whether SES and race moderate associations between perceptions and use behaviors.

METHODS

Five waves of Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study yielded data from 1879 adults aged 55 years and older who smoked within the past 30 days during Wave 1. Adjusted longitudinal logistic models estimated associations between higher versus lower SES ("low SES": less than high school diploma/GED and annual household income <$25 000) and race (White vs. Black/African American [AA]) and e-cigarette/cigarette relative risk perceptions, behavioral intentions, and e-cigarette use.

RESULTS

Lower-SES adults were more likely to report that e-cigarettes were very/extremely harmful to health (adjusted OR [AOR]: 1.74, p < .01) and less likely to report that e-cigarettes were less harmful than cigarettes (AOR: 0.65, p < .01). Black/AA adults were less likely to report that e-cigarettes were less harmful than cigarettes. Participants rating e-cigarettes as equally/more harmful than cigarettes exhibited lower odds of intending to quit smoking or switch to e-cigarettes. Finally, Black/AA adults who also perceived e-cigarettes equally/more harmful than cigarettes exhibited greater odds of trying to reduce rather than quit smoking (AOR: 1.58, p = .02).

CONCLUSIONS

Many older adults who smoke perceive e-cigarettes as equally or more harmful than cigarettes, particularly low-SES and Black/AA older adults. Differences in relative risk perceptions among high-priority populations could negatively influence cessation attempts and switching behaviors.

IMPLICATIONS

This study found that Black/AA and low-SES older adults who smoke cigarettes were more likely to perceive e-cigarettes as harmful or more harmful than cigarettes. The absence of accurate, evidence-based information regarding the relative health risks associated with the long-term use of various tobacco products may impede policy efforts to reduce disparities in smoking-related disease through increased cessation and/or harm reduction.