Overview of the ABOUT™—Perceived Risk Development and Evolution

The ABOUT™—Perceived Risk is a self-report instrument, developed by Philip Morris Products S.A., designed to assess perceived risks associated with the use of a wide range of tobacco- and/or nicotine-containing products (TNP), such as cigarettes, e-cigarettes, smokeless tobacco, and heated tobacco products, as well as perceived risk associated with the use of nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) or remaining risks after smoking cessation. In this presentation a brief history of the development and evaluation of the ABOUT™— Perceived Risk will be presented, starting with the original conceptual framework developed on the basis of qualitative studies, literature review, and input from experts to the initial psychometric validation of two multi-item scales for Perceived Health Risk and Addiction Risk, respectively, and three single items for “harm to others.” To keep the instrument fit-for-purpose and to adapt to a growing population of dual and poly TNP users, further cognitive debriefing interviews and quantitative studies were conducted to validate 1) additional scales (Social and Practical Risk), 2) new versions of products to be assessed (current use of two or more TNPs; remaining risk after quitting all tobacco use), and 3) a short form (9-items) of the Perceived Health Risk scale. As for the original instrument edition, the new edition including all the updates to the instrument will be made available through PROQOLID™.