Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40864621›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Waterpipe-specific pictorial health warning labels are effective in reducing subjective measures, behavioral responses and toxicant exposure among young adults: A crossover study.

Natasha Shaukat, Sreshtha Chowdhury, Simanta Roy, Taghrid Asfar, Zoran Bursac, Wasim Maziak

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Natasha ShaukatDepartment of Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College of Public Health, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7002-0814
Sreshtha ChowdhuryDepartment of Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College of Public Health, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
Simanta RoyDepartment of Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College of Public Health, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
Taghrid AsfarMiller School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
Zoran BursacDepartment of Biostatistics, Robert Stempel College of Public Health, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America.
Wasim MaziakDepartment of Epidemiology, Robert Stempel College of Public Health, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, United States of America.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThis study aims to assess the impact of six evidence-based Waterpipe (WP)-specific pictorial health warnings (HWs) placed on the WP device on puffing behavior, toxicant exposure, subjective smoking experiences, harm perception, motivation and intention to quit among young WP smokers in Florida.

methodsIn a crossover experiment, a total of 100 WP smokers completed two 45-minute ad-libitum WP smoking sessions (without HW vs. with HW on the device) after a 12-hour abstinence. Exhaled Carbon Monoxide (eCO) was measured before and after each session, while puff topography was recorded throughout the smoking session. Additionally, participants completed survey questionnaires before and after the WP smoking sessions to assess subjective smoking experiences, harm perception, motivation to quit, and intention to quit.

resultsStudy participants had a mean age of 22.5 years (SD = 3.4), and most (56.6%) were male.The mean e-CO boost (34.16 vs. 26.58) (p = 0.006) was higher in the no-HW condition compared to the HW condition. Differences were also observed between the two conditions for puff topography. For example, median smoking time (46.4 min vs 45.3 min; p < 0.001), median puffing time (4.35 min vs. 4.22 min; 0.004), average puff duration (3.13 sec vs. 2.90 sec; 0.029), and the total number of puffs (95.0 vs. 84.0; 0.039) were lower in the HW compared to no-HW conditions. Subjective measures also demonstrated differences between the two conditions, including greater suppression of the urge to smoke (14.98 vs. 7.51; p < 0.001), reduced puff liking (4.01 vs. 3.63; p = 0.010), and reduced puff satisfaction (4.11 vs. 3.65; p = 0.009) following exposure to HW compared to no-HW conditions. Motivation to quit (p = 0.058), intention to quit (p = 0.659), and harm perception (p = 0.301) increased after smoking the WP with HW; however these were not statistically significant.

conclusionUsing an evidence-based approach, a large sample size for clinical studies, and an efficient and sensitive within-subject design, this study demonstrates that pictorial HWs on WP devices effectively reduce smoking behavior, toxicant exposure, and subjective experiences while increasing harm perception, intention, and motivation to quit WP smoking.

Indexed as

Product LabelingSmoking CessationWater Pipe SmokingAdolescentAdultCarbon MonoxideCross-Over StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMotivationSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung AdultCarbon Monoxide

Identifiers

PMID40864621
PMCPMC12385414

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.