Consumer Perceptions of Waterpipe Tobacco Packaging and Digital Marketing Claims

Not Applicable

Completed

Brief Summary: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the impact of marketing claims commonly found on waterpipe, also known as hookah, tobacco packages and in digital marketing on young adults' willingness to try hookah tobacco. Participants will complete two tasks, in random order. Participants will view six sample waterpipe tobacco packages, randomized at the package level to contain a prohibited or potentially-prohibited claim or not (Packaging Task). In the other task, they will view 10 digital marketing advertisements (i.e. Instagram posts or website pages) either with or without prohibited or potentially-prohibited claim, randomized at the advertisements level (Digital Marketing Task).

Detailed Description: Background/Objectives The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has begun to prohibit certain claims on Waterpipe Tobacco (WT) packaging and advertising. Under Section 911 of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, manufacturers and retailers are prohibited from making unauthorized modified risk tobacco product (MRTP) claims, including statements that the product or its smoke: (1) results in reduced harm; (2) contains a reduced level of a substance or presents a reduced exposure to a substance; (3) does not contain or is free of a substance; and (4) statements that use modified risk descriptors such as light, mild, low, or similar descriptors. Some prohibited claims are easily identifiable, but others are more difficult to identify due to lack of specificity in the law and the implicit nature of some claims. Evidence is needed specific to WT packaging and marketing to determine which claims may be associated with consumer harm misperceptions to inform future regulatory actions. The study will address this gap by assessing how such claims influence consumer perceptions and behavioral intentions.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria

United States (U.S.) Resident
Has used waterpipe tobacco within the past year (self-report)
Has not used waterpipe tobacco within the past year but it susceptible to use (self- report)

Exclusion Criteria

Younger than 18 or older than 29
Non U.S. Resident
Has not used waterpipe tobacco within in the past year and is not susceptible to use (self-report)

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Willingness to Smoke Hookah Tobacco (Digital Marketing Task )	minute 5	One item to assess the extent to which young adults want to try smoking hookah: How much does this advertisement make you want to smoke hookah? Response scale: (1) Not at all to (4) A lot
Willingness to Try Hookah Tobacco (Packaging Task )	minute 5	One item to assess the extent to which young adults are willing to try the waterpipe tobacco product: How likely would you be to try this specific product? Response scale: (1) Not at all likely to (4) Very likely

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method

Locations (1): Wake Forest University Health Sciences
🇺🇸
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
🇺🇸Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States