Are Self-Reported Surveys Accurate for Assessing the Use of Novel Tobacco Products Such as Electronic Cigarettes and Heated Tobacco Products?

Abstract

Background: Although there has been a sharp increase in the use of heated tobacco products (HTPs) in Korea, its accuracy has not been verified. Methods: In total, 121 participants who used any type of tobacco [conventional cigarette (CC), electronic cigarettes (EC), and/or HTP] and completed an online survey in June 2019 were recruited. They were interviewed and classified into seven categories according to their combination. Results: Discordance between self-reported and interviewer-rated tobacco use patterns was 39.7% (48/121). Between these, large differences were observed in the prevalence of HTP alone (0% vs. 24.8%), triple use (18.2% vs. 4.1%), and dual use of CC/HTP (22.3% vs. 14.0), but relatively small differences were observed in the prevalence of CC alone (41.3% vs. 42.1%), EC alone (7.4% vs. 9.1%), and dual use of CC/EC (10.7% vs. 5.8%).