PATH Crosswalk

Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study (NIDA)

Attachment 3
Crosswalk of PATH Study Objectives,
Data Sources,
Domains and Analysis
June 26, 2014

Crosswalk of PATH Study Objectives, Data Sources, Domains, and Analysis

Objective

Data Source

1. Identify and explain
between-person
differences and withinperson changes in
tobacco-use patterns.

Adult, Youth, Parent,
Tobacco Use Form,
Biospecimen

2. Identify betweenperson differences and
within-person changes in
risk perceptions regarding
harmful and potentially
harmful constituents, new
and emerging tobacco
products, filters and other
design features of tobacco
products, packaging, and
labeling; and, identify
other factors that may
affect use.

Adult, Youth, Parent

3. Characterize the natural
history of tobacco
dependence, cessation,
and relapse.

Adult, Youth, Parent,
Screener, Tobacco Use
Form, Biospecimen

Domain / Questionnaire Component

Analysis

Demographics, tobacco use, cigarette
section, electronic nicotine delivery system
section, cigar section, pipe section, hookah
section, snus section, smokeless section,
dissolvable section, poly use section,
nicotine dependence section, secondhand
smoke exposure section
Demographics, tobacco use, cigarette
section, e-cigarette section, cigar section,
pipe section, waterpipe section, snus
section, smokeless section, dissolvable
section, poly use section, nicotine
dependence section, packaging and health
warnings section, product regulation,
modified risk product section, media
utilization section, secondhand smoke
exposure, peer and family influences,
marketing advertising and promotion
section

Examine the prevalence of each
product cross-sectionally and
examine rates of quitting, initiation,
and relapse longitudinally overall and
by demographics and other
subgroups such as dependence and
the presence of comorbidities.
Examine the levels of risk perceptions
of different tobacco products crosssectionally and to assess change
prospectively overall and by
demographics and other subgroups.

Demographics, tobacco use, cigarette
section, e-cigarette section, cigar section,
pipe section, waterpipe section, snus
section, smokeless section, dissolvable
section, poly use section, nicotine

Longitudinally examine rates of quit
attempts, brand and product
switching, and actual cessation and
relapse overall and by subgroup.

Demographics, tobacco use, cigarette
section, e-cigarette section, cigar section,
pipe section, waterpipe section, snus
section, smokeless section, dissolvable
section, poly use section, nicotine

Examine rates of adverse health
outcomes cross-sectionally and
compare between different types of
tobacco product users / nonusers.
Longitudinally examine the rate of

dependence section

4. Update the
comprehensive baseline
on tobacco-use behaviors
and related health
conditions, including

Adult, Youth, Parent,
Screener, Tobacco Use
Form, Biospecimen

June 2014

Objective

Data Source

markers of exposure and
tobacco-related disease
processes. Data may also
facilitate the selection of
individuals for
participation in small-scale
research studies (see
Objective 8).
5. Assess associations
between actions related
to the Tobacco Control
Act and tobacco- product
use, risk perceptions and
attitudes, use patterns,
cessation outcomes, and
tobacco- related
intermediate endpoints.

Adult, Youth, Parent,
Screener, Tobacco Use
Form, Biospecimen

6. Assess between-person
differences and withinperson changes over time
in attitudes, behaviors,
exposures to tobacco
products, and related
biomarkers among and
within population subgroups defined by racialethnic, gender, age, and
health risk factors.

Adult, Youth, Parent,
Screener, Tobacco Use
Form, Biospecimen

7. Compare samples of
former and never users of
tobacco products for
between-person
differences and within-

Adult, Youth, Parent,
Screener, Tobacco Use
Form, Biospecimen

Domain / Questionnaire Component

Analysis

dependence section, secondhand smoke
exposure
section, health effects section

onset of adverse health outcomes by
tobacco product user status (user,
recent quitter, product switcher,
poly-product user).

(All sections used) Demographics, tobacco
use, cigarette section, e-cigarette section,
cigar section, pipe section, hookah section,
snus section, smokeless section, dissolvable
section, poly use section, nicotine
dependence section, packaging and health
warnings section, product
regulation/modified risk product section,
peer and family influences section, health
section, marketing advertising and
promotion section
Demographics, tobacco use, cigarette
section, e-cigarette section, cigar section,
pipe section, waterpipe section, snus
section, smokeless section, dissolvable
section, poly use section, nicotine
dependence section, peer and family
influences section, health section

Utilize regulatory conceptual models
to identify changes in regulatoryspecific intermediate variables and
behaviors (see Attachment 4). When
possible, analyses will account for
other potential factors, such as
demographics, other tobacco control
policies, and social, familial, and
economic factors, that may influence
the observed patterns.

(All sections used) Demographics, tobacco
use, cigarette section, e-cigarette section,
cigar section, pipe section, waterpipe
section, snus section, smokeless section,
dissolvable section, poly use section,

This is essentially the analysis plan for
Objectives 1, 2, and 4 but broken
down by subgroup; however, the
main subgroups of interest for this
objective are persons with different

This is essentially the analysis plan for
Objectives 1, 2, and 4 but broken
down by subgroup, including b u t
n o t e x c l u s i v e o f , race/ethnicity,
gender, age, sexual orientation and
a n d he al th st at us m ea s ure s .

June 2014

Objective

Data Source

person changes in relapse
and uptake, risk
perceptions, and
indicators of tobacco
exposure and disease
processes.
8. Use the PATH data as a
basis for screening
respondents for
participation in small-scale
research studies by the
PATH Study.

Adult, Youth, Parent,
Screener, Tobacco Use
Form, Biospecimen

Domain / Questionnaire Component

Analysis

nicotine dependence section, packaging and
health warnings section, product
regulation/modified risk product section,
media utilization section, secondhand
smoke section, peer and family influences
section, health section, marketing
advertising and promotion section
(All sections used) Demographics, tobacco
use, cigarette section, e-cigarette section,
cigar section, pipe section, waterpipe
section, snus section, smokeless section,
dissolvable section, poly use section,
nicotine dependence section, packaging and
health warnings section, product
regulation/modified risk product section,
media utilization section, secondhand
smoke section, peer and family influences
section, health section, marketing
advertising and promotion section

tobacco use statuses (nonuser, users,
and former users of each type of
product).

Specific types of participants may be
of interest for additional studies to
address this aim. For example, polytobacco product users may be of
interest for more focused studies of
changes in their tobacco use behavior
and predictors of this change, and
youth susceptible to tobacco use
would also be of interest to track
predictors to transition to regular
tobacco use by product. Persons with
certain health conditions may be
of interest for additional studies to
better assess correlates of changes in
their health status over time. These
respondents can be identified from
the PATH data as needed throughout
the study.

June 2014