Young Adults’ Attention to Reduced Exposure Claims in IQOS Advertising and Associations With Product Perceptions and Use Intentions.

Abstract

Abstract Introduction Noncombusted tobacco products, particularly those authorized as modified-risk tobacco products, may appeal to young adults. This cross-sectional study explored young adults’ attention to reduced exposure claims in IQOS advertising and its associations with product perceptions and use intentions. Aims and Methods Fifty-one young adults aged 21–29 (mean age = 24.5 years old, 54.9% who smoked cigarettes, 47.1% male, 66.7% White) viewed an IQOS advertisement containing two reduced exposure claims (one large, one detailed) for 20 seconds during eye-tracking, then completed postexposure questionnaires (risk beliefs, harm perceptions, attitudes, and use intentions). We compared attention and questionnaire measures by smoking status and examined associations between attention to reduced exposure claims and questionnaire measures. Results Overall, the large (vs. detailed) reduced exposure claim attracted young adults’ attention more quickly, but the detailed claim held attention longer than all other advertisement features (p’s < .001). There were no differences by smoking status in how quickly either claim attracted or held initial attention, but young adults who smoked (vs. did not smoke) spent more cumulative time looking at the large claim and less time looking at the detailed claim (p’s < .05). Among those who smoked, greater dwell time on the detailed reduced exposure claim was associated with more beliefs about reduced harm, lower perceived risk of addiction, and greater intentions to try IQOS (p’s < .05). Conclusions Detailed information on reduced exposure in IQOS advertising may convey reduced risk and potentially promote uptake of IQOS among young adults who smoke and attend to this content. Implications Findings from this exploratory, single-exposure study demonstrate differences in young adults’ attention to reduced exposure claims in an IQOS advertisement based on their smoking status. Among those who smoke, greater attention to detailed reduced exposure information was associated with reduced perceptions of harm compared to cigarettes, and greater intentions to try IQOS. Findings suggest that among young adults who smoke cigarettes and visually engage with this content, detailed text containing IQOS’ authorized reduced exposure claims is interpreted as reduced risk information and may promote uptake of this product.