Publications by authors named "Melissa Blank"

Article Synopsis
  • Smokeless oral nicotine products are addictive and can negatively impact cardiovascular health, particularly in individuals with pre-existing heart or cerebrovascular conditions, and can also increase the risk of oral cancer depending on their chemical composition.
  • The market for these products has rapidly expanded since the last American Heart Association policy, particularly with the rise of tobacco-free oral nicotine pouches, but their health effects remain unstudied.
  • There is a need for strong public policies to help end tobacco addiction, focusing on preventing initiation and promoting cessation through established treatment options.
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Introduction:  Self-reports of electronic cigarette (ECIG) device and liquid characteristics are not always accurate or consistent with characteristics as measured by researchers. Two methods for measuring ECIG characteristics were compared: user self-reports and rater-coded pictures.

Methods:  Exclusive ECIG users ( = 321) reported on device (disposable, refillable, adjustable power, brand) and liquid (nicotine concentration, formulation, flavor) characteristics.

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Pain, fear, stress, and anxiety are separate yet interrelated phenomena. Each of these concepts has an extensive individual body of research, with some more recent work focusing on points of conceptual overlap. The role of the endogenous opioid system in each of these phenomena is only beginning to be examined and understood.

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Background And Objectives: This study examined young adults' tobacco use transitions based on their past 30-day use states, and identified factors associated with their transitions.

Methods: Participants (N = 12377) were young adults aged 18-29 years at Wave 1 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study. Self-reported tobacco use states were categorized by the number of past-month use days (0, 1-4, 5-8, 9-12, 13-30 days) for cigarettes, electronic cigarettes [e-cigarettes], traditional cigars, filtered cigars, cigarillos, smokeless tobacco (SLT), and hookah.

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Background: Measures designed to assess electronic cigarette (ECIG) dependence are largely adapted from those developed for cigarette smoking, and have been evaluated mainly among dual ECIG-cigarette users. The present study evaluated the psychometric properties of four dependence measures among former-smoking ECIG users.

Methods: Respondents (N = 187) were daily ECIG users who had formerly smoked cigarettes regularly.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Data was collected from 975 adolescents in the PATH study, showing that factors such as demographics, family background, and individual behaviors were linked to both initial tobacco use rates and changes over time.
  • * The findings suggest that addressing both personal motivations and broader social factors (like household smoking rules and community isolation) could be key in reducing increasing tobacco use among adolescents.
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Aims: This study aims to identify adolescent patterns of polytobacco use and measure transitions between patterns over time.

Design: Longitudinal analysis using data derived from waves 1-4 (2013-18) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study. Transitions in tobacco use patterns were examined via latent transition analysis, and then, socio-demographic characteristics were used to predict transitions via logistic regression.

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Introduction: Extant electronic cigarette (ECIG) dependence measures are largely adapted from those designed for cigarette smoking, though few have been evaluated for their psychometric properties.

Aims And Methods: Never-smoking ECIG users (N = 134) participating in an online survey completed four dependence measures: Penn state electronic cigarette dependence index (PSECDI), e-cigarette dependence scale (EDS-4), diagnostic and statistical manual for tobacco use disorder (DSM-5), and Glover Nilsson behavioral questionnaire (GNBQ). They also reported on their ECIG use characteristics (eg, behaviors and reasons).

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Introduction: ECIGs differ in their ability to deliver nicotine to the user and, consequently, they may differ in their ability to produce dependence. This study examined individual device characteristics, device type, and user behaviors as predictors of ECIG dependence in a sample of never-smoking ECIG users.

Methods: Participants (N = 134) completed an online survey that assessed demographics, ECIG use behavior, and ECIG dependence as measured via the Penn State Electronic Nicotine Dependence Index (PSECDI) and E-cigarette Dependence Scale (EDS-4).

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Introduction: Given the distinct and evolving social norms, research on health implications, and regulations regarding cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and cannabis, it is important to understand the interplay between social norms, risk perceptions, and use of these products.

Methods: We analyzed 3 waves of longitudinal data (Fall 2018, 2019, 2020) from 3006 young adults (M=24.56, 54.

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Introduction: In recent years, cigarette use has decreased, but alternative tobacco product and cannabis use has increased in young adults. Thus, research regarding intraindividual changes in tobacco product and cannabis use in this population, and related psychosocial predictors, is warranted.

Methods: We analyzed data from 3,006 young adults (M = 24.

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Introduction: Despite increases in adolescents' polytobacco use, little work has utilized recent national data to examine transitions in polytobacco use over time or predictors of such transitions.

Methods: Data derived from the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study. Participants used at least one tobacco product (cigarettes, electronic cigarettes [ECIGs], traditional cigars, cigarillos, filtered cigars, snus, smokeless tobacco [SLT], hookah) at Wave 3 (W3; 2015-2016) or 4 (W4; 2016-2018) and had Wave 1 (W1) data (N = 1072; M= 13.

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Introduction: ECIG use has increased among non-smokers, with the potential negative consequence of developing nicotine dependence. ECIG users report withdrawal symptoms upon abstinence, though the significance of these symptoms has been questioned. This preliminary study aimed to characterize the early timecourse of ECIG withdrawal under forced abstinence.

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Introduction: Expectancies of costs and benefits can be predictive of tobacco use, as well as cessation attempts and success. Measuring electronic cigarette (ECIG) expectancies is in its infancy, particularly among adolescents. However, the popularity of adolescent ECIG use demonstrates the need to understand better these contributing factors.

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Electronic cigarettes (ECIGs) vary greatly in their ability to deliver nicotine, which suggests they may also vary in their ability to produce dependence. This study examined individual and combined ECIG device features, and also user behaviors, as predictors of dependence in never-smoking ECIG users. Methods Data were collected from 711 current ECIG users who had smoked <100 cigarettes in their lifetime at Wave 4 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study.

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Objective: Rising rates of adolescent electronic cigarette (ECIG) use is concerning because it can lead to adverse health outcomes and increased risk behavior. There are known predictors of ever versus never ECIG use, but less are known about risk factors for ever versus current use of ECIGs. Problem behavior theory (PBT) was used to evaluate possible risk factors for different ECIG use status.

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Introduction: Cigarette smoking rates among individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) are notoriously high and may be improved by considering the timing of treatment integration for these two substances. The current study examined the feasibility of a method for assessing the timing of integrating smoking cessation pharmacotherapy within three different phases of outpatient treatment with medication for OUD (MOUD).

Methods: Seventy-four buprenorphine-maintained smokers were enrolled in a quasi-experimental study across three MOUD treatment phases: 0-90 (Phase 1), 91-365 (Phase 2), and > 365 days of MOUD treatment (Phase 3).

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The electronic cigarette (ECIG) research community faces several challenges when it comes to regulatory science; not only is the ECIG market changing at a rapid pace, but the terms used by researchers, health organizations, ECIG users, and ECIG manufacturers/distributors to describe devices are inconsistent. These discrepancies make it difficult to advance science and develop regulations. Although researchers have used "generations" to categorize ECIG device types based on various characteristics, with the constantly evolving ECIG market, it is unclear where one "generation" of devices ends and the next begins.

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The tobacco industry markets their products toward emerging adults (18-29), with the goal of increasing use among this age group. To inform prevention efforts, researchers are investigating how specific demographic and psychological traits may predict tobacco initiation and continuation. Participants were 578 incoming university freshmen from the Appalachian region.

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Article Synopsis
  • Traditional tobacco use rates are notably higher among rural individuals compared to those in urban settings, influenced by a mix of personal and community factors.
  • Factors contributing to these disparities include lack of tobacco control measures, targeted marketing, and cultural norms that accept tobacco use in rural areas.
  • The review utilizes cumulative disadvantage theory to explore how these structural and psychopharmacological factors interact, while offering suggestions for future research and policy changes in rural tobacco control.
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Purpose: The purpose of the current study was to evaluate associations between geographic rurality and tobacco use patterns among adolescents.

Methods: High school students (N = 566) from north-central Appalachia reported on their lifetime and/or current use of cigarettes, electronic cigarettes (ECIGs), cigars, and smokeless tobacco. Geographic rurality was measured via the Isolation scale, whereby residential ZIP Codes determined the degree to which respondents have access to health-related resources.

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Objectives: Measurement of electronic cigarette (ECIG) puff topography provides an understanding of how product characteristics and user behavior affect nicotine delivery. However, mouthpiece-based topography devices may affect natural puffing behavior. This study was designed to compare ECIG topography measured by mouthpiece-based eTop computerized device and mouthpiece-free video recordings.

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Prior work suggests that prospective measurement of cigarette use may be more reliable and valid than retrospective self-reports. Despite several studies comparing retrospective and prospective methods, there are a myriad of prospective methods that have not been directly compared, including spent cigarette filters that are returned to the laboratory by participants and diary logs of cigarette use on an electronic device via ecological momentary assessment. The current secondary data analysis compared the reliability of retrospective global self-report, returned cigarette filters, and electronic diary logs among a sample of cigarette smokers that also use smokeless tobacco (SLT; N = 51) over two consecutive weeks.

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Article Synopsis
  • Prior research highlighted peer influence as a key factor in adolescent e-cigarette use, but this study investigates how this influence operates through specific mechanisms, focusing on perceived costs, benefits, and self-efficacy.
  • The study involved 562 adolescents from rural and suburban areas, who completed questionnaires to assess their substance use and perceptions regarding e-cigarettes.
  • Findings revealed that adolescents with peers who use e-cigarettes are more likely to use them as well, influenced by their expectations of benefits, reduced perceived costs, and lower self-efficacy to resist use, suggesting these factors should inform prevention strategies.
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