CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Oral nicotine pouch package perceptions among adolescents and young adults who use pouches
1
Division of Epidemiology, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
2
Department of Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
3
Division of Health Behavior and Health Promotion, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
4
Division of Biostatistics, College of Public Health, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
5
Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
Tob. Prev. Cessation 2026;12(Supplement 1):A85
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND-AIM:
The tobacco industry uses images, colors, fonts and information on product packaging to promote their products. The objective of this study was to examine how adolescents and young adults (AYAs) who use oral nicotine pouches (ONPs) perceive products that vary by brand, nicotine concentration and flavor.
METHODS:
We analyzed data from AYAs who were enrolled in “The Generation Z Health Study”, a longitudinal cohort of AYAs who recently began using ONPs and/or e-cigarettes and live in the United States. Data were limited to participants who reported ONP use at baseline (N=469, 28% female, average age 21 years). The baseline survey included a between-subjects experiment (4 x 2 x 2 factorial) where participants viewed one of 16 images of an ONP package, which varied by brand (On!, Rogue, Velo, or Zyn), flavor (mint or citrus), and nicotine concentration (low or high). After viewing the image, AYAs rated (1-7 scale) the product on four positive (e.g. “likable”) and two negative (e.g., “addictive”) dimensions. Positive and negative scores were created by averaging the positive and negative ratings. T-tests and ANOVA compared positive and negative scores by brand, flavor, and nicotine concentration. Regression models were fit to examine whether demographic factors or nicotine dependence (Hooked on Nicotine Checklist) were associated with perceptions.
RESULTS:
Positive perception scale scores were highest for Zyn, followed by Velo, Rogue, and On! (the latter two were not significantly different), mint (vs. citrus) products, and high (vs. low) nicotine concentration products. Negative perception scale scores were significantly higher for high (vs. low) nicotine concentration. Sex was associated with positive and negative perception scale scores across all products combined, but in opposite ways: males had significantly higher positive scale scores and females had significantly higher negative scale scores. Nicotine dependence was weakly associated with perception scale scores: as nicotine dependence increased, negative perception scale scores increased (p=0.05).
CONCLUSIONS:
AYAs rated the packages of the most commonly used brand in the United States, Zyn, more favorably than others. Mint ONPs were also rated more positively than citrus ONPs, which is consistent with research demonstrating the appeal of mint. Females had significantly higher negative ratings and lower positive ratings compared to males, which may be attributed to the fact that smokeless tobacco products have historically been targeted to men. The finding that negative scores were higher for high (vs. low) nicotine concentration ONPs suggests that AYAs who use ONPs may understand that these products can lead to harm. Overall, our results add to the evidence base that can be used to create policies to regulate ONPs.
The tobacco industry uses images, colors, fonts and information on product packaging to promote their products. The objective of this study was to examine how adolescents and young adults (AYAs) who use oral nicotine pouches (ONPs) perceive products that vary by brand, nicotine concentration and flavor.
METHODS:
We analyzed data from AYAs who were enrolled in “The Generation Z Health Study”, a longitudinal cohort of AYAs who recently began using ONPs and/or e-cigarettes and live in the United States. Data were limited to participants who reported ONP use at baseline (N=469, 28% female, average age 21 years). The baseline survey included a between-subjects experiment (4 x 2 x 2 factorial) where participants viewed one of 16 images of an ONP package, which varied by brand (On!, Rogue, Velo, or Zyn), flavor (mint or citrus), and nicotine concentration (low or high). After viewing the image, AYAs rated (1-7 scale) the product on four positive (e.g. “likable”) and two negative (e.g., “addictive”) dimensions. Positive and negative scores were created by averaging the positive and negative ratings. T-tests and ANOVA compared positive and negative scores by brand, flavor, and nicotine concentration. Regression models were fit to examine whether demographic factors or nicotine dependence (Hooked on Nicotine Checklist) were associated with perceptions.
RESULTS:
Positive perception scale scores were highest for Zyn, followed by Velo, Rogue, and On! (the latter two were not significantly different), mint (vs. citrus) products, and high (vs. low) nicotine concentration products. Negative perception scale scores were significantly higher for high (vs. low) nicotine concentration. Sex was associated with positive and negative perception scale scores across all products combined, but in opposite ways: males had significantly higher positive scale scores and females had significantly higher negative scale scores. Nicotine dependence was weakly associated with perception scale scores: as nicotine dependence increased, negative perception scale scores increased (p=0.05).
CONCLUSIONS:
AYAs rated the packages of the most commonly used brand in the United States, Zyn, more favorably than others. Mint ONPs were also rated more positively than citrus ONPs, which is consistent with research demonstrating the appeal of mint. Females had significantly higher negative ratings and lower positive ratings compared to males, which may be attributed to the fact that smokeless tobacco products have historically been targeted to men. The finding that negative scores were higher for high (vs. low) nicotine concentration ONPs suggests that AYAs who use ONPs may understand that these products can lead to harm. Overall, our results add to the evidence base that can be used to create policies to regulate ONPs.
| eISSN: | 2459-3087 |
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