title: Design and methods of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study.
abstract: This paper describes the methods and conceptual framework for Wave 1 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study data collection. The National Institutes of Health, through the National Institute on Drug Abuse, is partnering with the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products to conduct the PATH Study under a contract with Westat.
  
  
  
  The PATH Study is a nationally representative, longitudinal cohort study of 45 971 adults and youth in the USA, aged 12 years and older. Wave 1 was conducted from 12 September 2013 to 15 December 2014 using Audio Computer-Assisted Self-Interviewing to collect information on tobacco-use patterns, risk perceptions and attitudes towards current and newly emerging tobacco products, tobacco initiation, cessation, relapse behaviours and health outcomes. The PATH Study's design allows for the longitudinal assessment of patterns of use of a spectrum of tobacco products, including initiation, cessation, relapse and transitions between products, as well as factors associated with use patterns. Additionally, the PATH Study collects biospecimens from consenting adults aged 18 years and older and measures biomarkers of exposure and potential harm related to tobacco use.
  
  
  
  The cumulative, population-based data generated over time by the PATH Study will contribute to the evidence base to inform FDA's regulatory mission under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act and efforts to reduce the Nation's burden of tobacco-related death and disease.
authors: Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York, USA.
authors: Andrew
authors: A
authors: Hyland
authors: Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
authors: Bridget K
authors: BK
authors: Ambrose
authors: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors: Kevin P
authors: KP
authors: Conway
authors: Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
authors: Nicolette
authors: N
authors: Borek
authors: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors: Elizabeth
authors: E
authors: Lambert
authors: Westat, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
authors: Charles
authors: C
authors: Carusi
authors: Westat, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
authors: Kristie
authors: K
authors: Taylor
authors: Westat, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
authors: Scott
authors: S
authors: Crosse
authors: University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, USA.|University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, USA.
authors: Geoffrey T
authors: GT
authors: Fong
authors: Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.
authors: K Michael
authors: KM
authors: Cummings
authors: Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies, Truth Initiative, Washington, District of Columbia, USA; The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Abrams
authors: University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.
authors: John P
authors: JP
authors: Pierce
authors: Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA.
authors: James
authors: J
authors: Sargent
authors: University of California at San Diego, San Diego, California, USA.
authors: Karen
authors: K
authors: Messer
authors: Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, New York, USA.
authors: Maansi
authors: M
authors: Bansal-Travers
authors: Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies, Truth Initiative, Washington, District of Columbia, USA; The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors: Ray
authors: R
authors: Niaura
authors: Schroeder Institute for Tobacco Research and Policy Studies, Truth Initiative, Washington, District of Columbia, USA; The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
authors: Donna
authors: D
authors: Vallone
authors: Ontario Institute for Cancer Research, Toronto, Ontario, USA.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Hammond
authors: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors: Nahla
authors: N
authors: Hilmi
authors: Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
authors: Jonathan
authors: J
authors: Kwan
authors: Westat, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Piesse
authors: Westat, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
authors: Graham
authors: G
authors: Kalton
authors: Westat, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
authors: Sharon
authors: S
authors: Lohr
authors: Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
authors: Nick
authors: N
authors: Pharris-Ciurej
authors: Westat, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
authors: Victoria
authors: V
authors: Castleman
authors: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.|Kelly Government Solutions, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
authors: Victoria R
authors: VR
authors: Green
authors: Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
authors: Greta
authors: G
authors: Tessman
authors: National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors: Annette
authors: A
authors: Kaufman
authors: Westat, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
authors: Charles
authors: C
authors: Lawrence
authors: Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
authors: Dana M
authors: DM
authors: van Bemmel
authors: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors: Heather L
authors: HL
authors: Kimmel
authors: CDC National Center for Environmental Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors: Ben
authors: B
authors: Blount
authors: Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
authors: Ling
authors: L
authors: Yang
authors: Westat, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: O'Brien
authors: Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
authors: Cindy
authors: C
authors: Tworek
authors: Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
authors: Derek
authors: D
authors: Alberding
authors: Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
authors: Lynn C
authors: LC
authors: Hull
authors: Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
authors: Yu-Ching
authors: YC
authors: Cheng
authors: Westat, Rockville, Maryland, USA.
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Maklan
authors: Center for Tobacco Products, US Food and Drug Administration, Silver Spring, Maryland, USA.
authors: Cathy L
authors: CL
authors: Backinger
authors: National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Health and Human Services, Bethesda, Maryland, USA.
authors: Wilson M
authors: WM
authors: Compton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011634:Public Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012107:Research Design; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Prevention; Public policy; Surveillance and monitoring