Evidence suggests that flavoring may impact reactions to tobacco products. In the present research, we tested the impact and mechanisms of cigarillo flavor descriptors on susceptibility to use in order to determine whether exposure to cigarillos with characterizing flavors increases susceptibility in young adult nonusers of tobacco and, if so, why susceptibility increases. Nonsmoking, 18–26 years old U.S. residents were recruited for an online randomized controlled trial with two conditions: cigarillos with characterizing flavors (experimental condition) versus cigarillos with tobacco flavors (control condition). Experimental condition participants (n = 49) were presented with five cigarillo pack images with characterizing flavors (e.g., “Sweet”), whereas control condition participants (n = 53) were presented with five standard, tobacco‐flavored images (e.g., “Air‐Cured”). Each presented cigarillo image included a description of the pack flavor. Approach bias to the cigarillos was measured using the Implicit Association Test, and participants reported their perceptions of taste, smell, social acceptability, enjoyment, and harm in relation to each cigarillo pack. Finally, participants indicated their susceptibility to using cigarillos. Susceptibility to cigarillo use was significantly greater for participants exposed to the cigarillo packs with characterizing flavors. Taste perceptions both mediated and moderated the relationship between cigarillo flavor descriptors and susceptibility to use. Characterizing flavors increased susceptibility to cigarillo use via two routes: (1) by enhancing perceptions of taste and (2) by increasing the strength of association between perceptions of taste and susceptibility. These findings have implications for public health and policy decisions regarding banning or limiting characterizing flavors in cigarillos.

中文翻译：

---

小雪茄风味描述符对年轻成年非使用者吸烟易感性的影响及其机制

有证据表明，调味剂可能会影响对烟草制品的反应。在本研究中，我们测试了小雪茄香气描述符对使用易感性的影响和机理，以确定暴露于具有特征性香精的小雪茄烟是否增加了年轻成年非使用者烟草的易感性，如果是，为什么易感性增加。招募18至26岁不吸烟的美国居民进行在线随机对照试验，该试验有以下两种条件：具有特征性风味的小雪茄（实验条件）与具有烟草风味的小雪茄（对照条件）。实验条件参与者（n = 49）展示了五幅具有特征性风味（例如“甜”）的小雪茄烟盒图像，而对照条件参与者（n = 53）展示了五张标准的烟草味图像（例如“空气固化”）。每个呈现的小雪茄图像都包含对包装味道的描述。使用内隐联想测验测量了小雪茄的进场偏见，参与者报告了他们对每种小雪茄烟包的味道，气味，社交接受度，享受和伤害的感知。最后，参与者表明了他们对使用小雪茄的敏感性。对于暴露于具有特征性风味的小雪茄烟盒的参与者，小雪茄烟的使用敏感性明显更高。口味知觉介导并缓和了小雪茄风味描述符与使用敏感性之间的关系。通过两种途径表征风味可提高对小雪茄使用的敏感性：（1）通过增强对味觉的感知和（2）通过增强对味觉与易感性之间的关联的强度。这些发现对禁止或限制小雪茄风味香精的公共卫生和政策决策产生了影响。