TY - JOUR
T1 - The Dilemma of Correcting Nicotine Misperceptions
T2 - Nicotine Replacement Therapy versus Electronic Cigarettes
AU - Shi, Rui
AU - Feldman, Robert
AU - Liu, Jiaying
AU - Clark, Pamela I.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - Many people overestimate the health risks associated with nicotine, mistakenly perceiving nicotine as the main carcinogen in cigarettes and a leading cause of smoking-related diseases. Health professionals have been calling for public education programs to correct nicotine misperceptions in the hope that a lower risk perception of nicotine could encourage the use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). However, a lower risk perception of nicotine could also lower perceived risk of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). This paper evaluated the necessity of correcting nicotine misperceptions and explored possible intervention strategies to increase use of NRT and decrease use of e-cigarettes. In Study 1, smokers were surveyed about their perceptions of nicotine harm, and attitudes and intention toward using NRT and e-cigarettes. Results showed that overestimation of nicotine harm was associated with e-cigarette attitude and intention, but not with NRT. Informed by the survey results, three correction messages (a nicotine message, an NRT message, and an e-cigarette message) were developed and experimentally tested in Study 2 on both tobacco users and non-tobacco users. The nicotine message lowered people’s perception of nicotine harm but it did not change attitude and intention toward tobacco product use. The NRT message also failed to influence NRT attitudes and intentions. The e-cigarette message significantly lowered attitudes and intentions to use e-cigarette.
AB - Many people overestimate the health risks associated with nicotine, mistakenly perceiving nicotine as the main carcinogen in cigarettes and a leading cause of smoking-related diseases. Health professionals have been calling for public education programs to correct nicotine misperceptions in the hope that a lower risk perception of nicotine could encourage the use of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). However, a lower risk perception of nicotine could also lower perceived risk of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes). This paper evaluated the necessity of correcting nicotine misperceptions and explored possible intervention strategies to increase use of NRT and decrease use of e-cigarettes. In Study 1, smokers were surveyed about their perceptions of nicotine harm, and attitudes and intention toward using NRT and e-cigarettes. Results showed that overestimation of nicotine harm was associated with e-cigarette attitude and intention, but not with NRT. Informed by the survey results, three correction messages (a nicotine message, an NRT message, and an e-cigarette message) were developed and experimentally tested in Study 2 on both tobacco users and non-tobacco users. The nicotine message lowered people’s perception of nicotine harm but it did not change attitude and intention toward tobacco product use. The NRT message also failed to influence NRT attitudes and intentions. The e-cigarette message significantly lowered attitudes and intentions to use e-cigarette.
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U2 - 10.1080/10410236.2020.1800288
DO - 10.1080/10410236.2020.1800288
M3 - Article
C2 - 32762261
AN - SCOPUS:85089197772
SN - 1041-0236
VL - 36
SP - 1856
EP - 1866
JO - Health Communication
JF - Health Communication
IS - 14
ER -