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© 2023. This work is licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Background:Eye tracking provides an objective way to measure attention, which can advance researchers’ and policy makers’ understanding of tobacco marketing influences. The development of remote webcam-based eye-tracking technology, integrated with web-based crowdsourcing studies, may be a cost-effective and time-efficient alternative to laboratory-based eye-tracking methods. However, research is needed to evaluate the utility of remote eye-tracking methods.

Objective:This study aimed to detail the process of designing a remote webcam-based eye-tracking experiment and provide data on associations between participant characteristics and the outcomes of experiment completion.

Methods:A total of 2023 young adult (aged 18-34 years) cigarette smokers in the United States were recruited to complete a web-based survey that included a 90-second remote eye-tracking experiment that examined attention to e-cigarette marketing materials. Primary outcome measures assessed the completion of the remote eye-tracking experiment—specifically, experiment initiated versus not initiated, experiment completed versus not completed, and usable versus nonusable eye-tracking data generated. Multivariable logistic regressions examined the associations between outcome measures and participants’ sociodemographic backgrounds, tobacco use history, and electronic devices (mobile vs desktop) used during the experiment.

Results:Study recruitment began on April 14, 2022, and ended on May 3, 2022. Of the 2023 survey participants, 1887 (93.28%) initiated the experiment, and 777 (38.41%) completed the experiment. Of the 777 participants who completed the experiment, 381 (49%) generated usable data. Results from the full regression models show that non-Hispanic Black participants (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 0.64, 95% CI 0.45-0.91) were less likely to complete the eye-tracking experiment than non-Hispanic White participants. In addition, female (vs male) participants (AOR 1.46, 95% CI 1.01-2.11), those currently using (vs not using) e-cigarettes (AOR 2.08, 95% CI 1.13-3.82), and those who used mobile (vs desktop) devices (AOR 5.10, 95% CI 3.05-8.52) were more likely to generate usable eye-tracking data.

Conclusions:Young adult participants were willing to try remote eye-tracking technology, and nearly half of those who completed the experiment generated usable eye-tracking data (381/777, 49%). Thus, we believe that the use of remote eye-tracking tools, integrated with crowdsourcing recruitment, can be a useful approach for the tobacco regulatory science research community to collect high-quality, large-scale eye-tracking data in a timely fashion and thereby address research questions related to the ever-evolving tobacco marketing landscape. It would be useful to investigate techniques to enhance completion rates and data usability.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID):RR1-10.2196/43512

Details

Title
Examining Visual Attention to Tobacco Marketing Materials Among Young Adult Smokers: Protocol for a Remote Webcam-Based Eye-Tracking Experiment
Author
Chen-Sankey, Julia  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Elhabashy, Maryam  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Gratale, Stefanie  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Geller, Jason  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Mercincavage, Melissa  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Strasser, Andrew A  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Delnevo, Cristine D  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Jeong, Michelle  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Wackowski, Olivia A  VIAFID ORCID Logo 
First page
e43512
Publication year
2023
Publication date
2023
Publisher
JMIR Publications
e-ISSN
19290748
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2918518183
Copyright
© 2023. This work is licensed under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.