Miso Choi, “Validation of Self-Reported E-Cigarette Cessation via Salivary Cotinine Analysis”
Mentor: Han Joo Lee, Psychology
Poster #39

Validating self-reported e-cigarette cessation via salivary cotinine analysis is essential due to the potential unreliability of self-reported data on vaping. Retroactive self-reporting is prone to biases, impression management, and reporting inaccuracies. Therefore, in vaping intervention studies, ensuring a reliable vaping status indicator beyond self-reports is crucial. Salivary cotinine analysis is crucial for accurately verifying vaping cessation. However, conducting these assays in remote studies faces logistical challenges, especially in collecting saliva samples from participants. Overcoming these hurdles is vital to ensure the credibility of vaping cessation data in remote research. In our recent remote text messaging-based intervention study, we developed a standardized self-administered procedure to obtain salivary cotinine samples from participants. This presentation will discuss the logistics and implications of this new data acquisition procedure. Saliva sample kits were dispatched to participants through UPS shipping services, including detailed instructions on the saliva collection process. They placed a SalivaBio Oral swab under their tongues for 2 minutes, then inserted it into a storage tube, marked the date, and stored it in the freezer. Instructions were given for them to send the completed sample back to our laboratory within 3 days of collection. The status of participants’ samples, including tracking numbers and shipping details, was meticulously tracked and organized in an Excel file for easy access and reference. Only 7 out of 23 samples were returned, indicating about a 30% acquisition rate. Return times varied widely, from 11 to 22 days. Our study encountered challenges like address changes and false addresses, suggesting the need for verification measures and better communication in future studies to overcome logistical barriers. This presentation will offer a discussion of useful suggestions for improved sample collection procedures for remote intervention studies. Future studies should prioritize overcoming these challenges and exploring effective methods to boost sample acquisition rates.