“Are the relevant risk factors being adequately captured in empirical studies of smoking initiation? A machine learning analysis based on the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health study”

...this work demonstrates the potential applications of machine learning methods in developing highly accurate classification models to predict smoking initiation using nationally representative survey data and systematically identify all potential risk factors of smoking behaviors in the PATH data. Besides reconfirming well-known risk factors in the literature, our findings discovered additional predictors of smoking initiation that have not been paid much attention to in previous studies.

AUTHORS: Thuy T T Le, PhD, Mona Issabakhsh, PhD, Yameng Li, MS, Luz María Sánchez-Romero, PhD, Jiale Tan, MS, Rafael Meza, PhD, David Levy, PhD, David Mendez, PhD   JOURNAL: Nicotine & tobacco research.

POSTED: Tue May 02, 2023

“Patterns of poly tobacco use among adults in the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study, 2013–2017: a multistate Markov transition analysis”

Although cigarette smoking prevalence has nearly halved in the past 50 years, tobacco use remains the leading preventable cause of disease and premature death in the USA and globally. In recent years, the landscape of tobacco use has drastically changed with changes in the availability, marketing and diversity of tobacco products. Over 35% of the US adult population that uses tobacco products, representing 10% of the US adult population, report regularly using more than one tobacco or nicotine product, including cigarettes, e-cigarettes, hookah, cigars and other products. Researchers are working to understand how the use of multiple tobacco products impacts smoking cessation, nicotine addiction and future tobacco product use.

AUTHORS: Fatema Shafie Khorassani, Andrew F Brouwer, Jana L Hirschtick, Jihyoun Jeon, Evelyn Jimenez-Mendoza, Rafael Meza, Nancy L Fleischer   JOURNAL: Tobacco Control

POSTED: Tue Apr 25, 2023

“Cigarettes, ENDS Use, and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Incidence: A Prospective Longitudinal Study”

ENDS use did not significantly increase the risk of self-reported incident chronic obstructive pulmonary disease over a 5-year period once current smoking status and cigarette pack years were included. Cigarette pack years, by contrast, remained associated with a net increase in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease incidence risk. These findings highlight the importance of using prospective longitudinal data and adequately controlling for cigarette smoking history to assess the independent health effects of ENDS.

AUTHORS: Steven F. Cook PhD, Jana L. Hirschtick PhD, Nancy L. Fleischer PhD, Douglas A. Arenberg MD, Geoffrey D. Barnes MD, MSc, David T. Levy PhD, Luz Maria Sanchez-Romero PhD, Jihyoun Jeon PhD, Rafael Meza PhD   JOURNAL: American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

POSTED: Tue Mar 07, 2023

“Modeling cigarette smoking disparities between people with and without serious psychological distress in the US, 1997–2100”

Highlights:
• First tobacco simulation model of population with serious psychological distress.
• 609,000 smoking-attributable deaths to occur in this population through 2100.
• Up to 386,000 of these premature deaths could be averted in the population.
• Trends in disparities depend on the type of metric used: absolute or relative.
• Improving cessation for this group leads to large, short-term public health benefit.

AUTHORS: Qin Xi, Rafael Meza, Adam Leventhal, Jamie Tam   JOURNAL: Preventive Medicine.

POSTED: Tue Dec 13, 2022

“The actual and anticipated effects of restrictions on flavoured electronic nicotine delivery systems: a scoping review”

Our findings highlight the need for additional research on the impacts of ENDS restrictions. Research should further evaluate the impact of restrictions on youth and adult use of nicotine and tobacco products in addition to the effects of restrictions in countries beyond the US to enable a robust consideration of the harm-benefit trade-off of restrictions.

AUTHORS: Christopher J. Cadham, Alex C. Liber, Luz María Sánchez-Romero, Mona Issabakhsh, Kenneth E. Warner, Rafael Meza, David T. Levy   JOURNAL: BMC Public Health

POSTED: Mon Nov 21, 2022

“Public health impact of a US menthol cigarette ban on the non-Hispanic black population: a simulation study”

With the US Food and Drug Administration recently proposing to implement a ban on menthol cigarettes, it is critical to estimate the potential public health effects of such a ban. With high rates of menthol cigarette use and important smoking-related health disparity implications, the impact of the ban on the non-Hispanic black (NHB) population merits strong consideration.

AUTHORS: Mona Issabakhsh, Rafael Meza, Yameng Li, Zhe Yuan, Luz Maria Sanchez-Romero, David T Levy   JOURNAL: Tobacco Control

POSTED: Wed Jun 15, 2022