The Effect of Product Characteristics on Perceptions of E-cigarettes among Canadians

Christine Czoli, PhD Student

May 28, 2014

Background

Source: Alderman L. (2013). E-Cigarettes are in vogue and at a crossroads. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/13/business/e-cigarettes-are-in-vogue-and-at-a-crossroads.html?pagewanted=1&_r=0

Background• Debate: public health benefit or harm?• Limited research evidence

Background• E-cigarette regulatory frameworks• Targets for regulation?

Research Objective1. To examine the relative importance of flavour, nicotine

content, health warnings, and price among Canadians’:a) Perceptions of product tasteb) Perceptions of product harmc) Perceptions of product efficacy in smoking

cessation

2. To examine the extent to which outcomes a-d are moderated by smoking status, gender, and age.

MethodsStudy Design & Protocol

• Online survey + discrete choice experiment• November 2013

• 1,188 Canadians, aged 16+

MethodsDiscrete Choice Experiment

• Random utility theory

• Tested 4 product attributes

MethodsProduct Attributes Product Attribute LevelsFlavour Tobacco

Menthol

Coffee

Cherry

MethodsProduct Attributes Product Attribute LevelsNicotine content None (0 mg)

Low (6-8 mg)

Medium (10-12 mg)

High (16 mg)

MethodsProduct AttributesProduct Attribute LevelsHealth warning None

“Health Canada has not approved this product for quitting smoking.” [HC]

“This product is intended for use by existing smokers. It contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance.” [EC1]

“This product is intended for use by existing smokers aged 18 or over as an alternative to tobacco cigarettes. It contains nicotine which is a highly addictive substance. Consult your doctor if you are pregnant, breast feeding, allergic to nicotine or propylene glycol, or have high blood pressure.” [EC2]

MethodsProduct Attributes Product Attribute LevelsPrice Low ($ 7.99)

High ($ 9.99)

MethodsProduct AttributesProduct Attribute LevelsFlavour Tobacco

MentholCoffeeCherry

Nicotine content NoneLowMediumHigh

Health warning NoneHCEC1EC2

Price Low ($ 7.99)High ($ 9.99)

MethodsProduct AttributesProduct Attribute LevelsFlavour Tobacco

MentholCoffeeCherry

Nicotine content NoneLowMediumHigh

Health warning NoneHCEC1EC2

Price Low ($ 7.99)High ($ 9.99) $ 9.99

MethodsDiscrete Choice Experiment – Design

Fractional factorial main effects design• 16 pack profiles

• Arranged into 20 choice sets

• Each set containing 4 pack profiles + “none”

Source: Kuhfeld, W. (2010). Marketing research methods in SAS.

MethodsChoice Set #1

$ 9.99 $ 7.99 $ 7.99 $ 7.99

None of the above

MethodsWhich one of these products do you think would taste better?

$ 9.99 $ 7.99 $ 7.99 $ 7.99

None of the above

MethodsWhich one of these products do you think would be less harmful?

$ 9.99 $ 7.99 $ 7.99 $ 7.99

None of the above

MethodsWhich one of these products do you think would help someone quit smoking?

$ 9.99 $ 7.99 $ 7.99 $ 7.99

None of the above

MethodsAnalyses

Multinomial logit models1. Attribute-level importance2. Attribute importance

Results

ResultsSample Characteristics (n = 1,188)

Characteristic % (n)

Age (years)

Mean (SD) 32.8 (SD = 16.0)

Gender

Male 42.4% (504)

Female 57.6% (684)

Perceptions of product tasteAttribute-Level Importance

Parameter Estimate SignificanceFlavour

Tobacco - 0.30 p < 0.0001Menthol - 0.16 p < 0.0001

Coffee 0.02 p = 0.1546Cherry 0.44 p < 0.0001

Nicotine content

None - 0.02 p = 0.2249Low 0.10 p < 0.0001

Medium - 0.02 p < 0.0001High - 0.07 p < 0.0001

Health warning

None 0.13 p < 0.0001HC - 0.24 p < 0.0001

EC1 - 0.05 p = 0.0010EC2 0.16 p < 0.0001

Low 0.11 p < 0.0001High - 0.11 p < 0.0001

Perceptions of product tasteAttribute-Level Importance

E-cigarettes with the following characteristics were perceived as better-tasting:

• Cherry flavour (p < 0.0001);

• Low nicotine (p < 0.0001);

• No health warning (p < 0.0001) and the EC2 health warning (p < 0.0001);

• Lower price (p < 0.0001)

Perceptions of product tasteAttribute Importance

Parameter Estimate Utility Range Relative ImportanceFlavour

Tobacco - 0.30 0.74 48%Menthol - 0.16

Coffee 0.02 Cherry 0.44

Nicotine content

None - 0.02 0.17 11%Low 0.10

Medium - 0.02 High - 0.07

Health warning

None 0.13 0.40 26%HC - 0.24

EC1 - 0.05 EC2 0.16

Low 0.11 0.22 15%High - 0.11

Parameter Estimate Utility Range Relative ImportanceFlavour

Tobacco - 0.30 0.74

Menthol - 0.16Coffee 0.02Cherry 0.44

Nicotine content

None - 0.02 0.17

Low 0.10Medium - 0.02

High - 0.07

Health warning None 0.13 0.40

HC - 0.24EC1 - 0.05EC2 0.16

Low 0.11 0.22

15% High - 0.11

15%11%

Health warning FlavourPrice Nicotine content

Perceptions of product harmAttribute-Level Importance

E-cigarettes with the following characteristics were perceived as less harmful:

• Menthol (p < 0.0001) and coffee (p < 0.0001) flavours;

Perceptions of product harmAttribute Importance

35% 36%

14% 15%

Perceptions of product quit efficacyAttribute-Level Importance

E-cigarettes with the following characteristics were believed to help someone quit smoking:

• Menthol (p < 0.0001) and coffee (p < 0.0001) flavours;

Perceptions of product quit efficacyAttribute Importance

26% 25%

Summary• Health warnings were the most influential drivers of

participants’ perceptions of product quit efficacy

• Flavour was the strongest predictor of perceptions of taste

• Flavour and health warnings significantly predicted perceptions of product harm

Strengths & LimitationsStrengths• DCE design

Limitations• Design did not include all attribute-level combinations• Testing of a subset of attributes• Use of a non-probability-based sample

ImplicationsRegulatory Framework for E-cigarettes• Potential targets for regulation• Flavour and health warnings

AcknowledgementsResearch Team• David Hammond, Maciej Goniewicz, Towhidul Islam,

Kathy Kotnowski

Funding Sources

Thank you

Christine D Czoli, PhD Student

School of Public Health & Health Systemscczoli@uwaterloo.ca

Perceptions of product tastePack Utility

Parameter EstimateFlavour

Tobacco - 0.30Menthol - 0.16

Coffee 0.02Cherry 0.44

Nicotine content

None - 0.02Low 0.10

Medium - 0.02High - 0.07

Health warning

None 0.13HC - 0.24

EC1 - 0.05EC2 0.16

Low 0.11High - 0.11

Which one of these products do you think would taste better?

$ 9.99

Utility = 0.38

Perceptions of product tastePack Utility

Perceptions of product harmPack Utility

Perceptions of product quit efficacyPack Utility

The Effect of Product Characteristics on Perceptions of E-cigarettes among Canadians

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