Examining Age as a Potential Moderator of Response to Reduced Nicotine Content Cigarettes in Vulnerable Populations

Abstract Introduction Young adults (aged 18–24 years) have a higher smoking prevalence than younger and older age groups and young adulthood is an important developmental period during which long-term behavior patterns like cigarette smoking are established. The aim of the current study was to exami...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nicotine & tobacco research 2019-12, Vol.21 (Supplement_1), p.S49-S55
Main Authors: Davis, Danielle R, Parker, Maria A, Villanti, Andrea C, Streck, Joanna M, Priest, Jeff S, Tidey, Jennifer W, Gaalema, Diann E, Sigmon, Stacey C, Heil, Sarah H, Higgins, Stephen T
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adult
Age Factors
Female
Humans
Male
Mental Disorders - complications
Mental Disorders - epidemiology
Nicotine
Nicotine Standards and Youth and Young Adults
Poverty - statistics & numerical data
Smokers - statistics & numerical data
Smoking - epidemiology
Smoking Cessation - methods
Tobacco Products
Vulnerable Populations - statistics & numerical data
Young Adult
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Summary:Abstract Introduction Young adults (aged 18–24 years) have a higher smoking prevalence than younger and older age groups and young adulthood is an important developmental period during which long-term behavior patterns like cigarette smoking are established. The aim of the current study was to examine how young adult smokers with additional vulnerabilities to smoking respond to reduced nicotine content cigarettes. Methods This is a secondary analysis of a double-blind, within-subject experiment conducted with 169 cigarette smokers recruited from populations with comorbid psychiatric conditions or socioeconomic disadvantage assessing acute effects of research cigarettes varying in nicotine content (0.4, 2.4, 5.2, 15.8 mg/g). Participants were dichotomized by chronological age (18–24 vs. ≥25 years). Across 14 laboratory sessions effects of nicotine content were examined on measures of relative reinforcing efficacy (Cigarette Purchase Task [CPT] and Concurrent Choice testing), subjective effects, craving/withdrawal, and smoking topography. Repeated measures analysis of variances were used to examine potential moderating effects of age. Results Young adults exhibited lower demand for reduced nicotine content cigarettes than older adults across three of five CPT indices (ps < .05). No differences by age were observed on other measures of reinforcing efficacy, subjective effects, craving/withdrawal, or smoking topography where effects generally decreased as an orderly function of decreasing nicotine content (ps
ISSN:1462-2203
1469-994X
DOI:10.1093/ntr/ntz134