Toward an ontology of tobacco, nicotine and vaping products

Cox, Sharon, West, Robert, Notley, Caitlin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0876-3304, Soar, Kirstie and Hastings, Janna (2023) Toward an ontology of tobacco, nicotine and vaping products. Addiction, 118 (1). pp. 177-188. ISSN 0965-2140

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Abstract

Background and aims: Ontologies are ways of representing information that improve clarity and the ability to connect different data sources. This paper proposes an initial version of an ontology of tobacco, nicotine and vaping products with the aim of reducing ambiguity and confusion in the field. Methods: Terms related to tobacco, nicotine and vaping products were identified in the research literature and their usage characterised. Basic Formal Ontology was used as a unifying upper-level ontology to describe the domain, and classes with definitions and labels were developed linking them to this ontology. Labels, definitions and properties were reviewed and revised in an iterative manner until a coherent set of classes was agreed by the authors. Results: Overlapping but distinct classes were developed: ‘tobacco-containing product’, ‘nicotine-containing product’ and ‘vaping device’. Subclasses of tobacco-containing products are ‘combustible tobacco-containing product’, ‘heated tobacco product’ and ‘smokeless tobacco-containing product’. Subclasses of combustible tobacco-containing product include ‘cigar’, ‘cigarillo’, ‘bidi’ and ‘cigarette’ with further subclasses including ‘manufactured cigarette’. Manufactured cigarettes have properties that include ‘machine-smoked nicotine yield’ and ‘machine-smoked tar yield’. Subclasses of smokeless tobacco product include ‘nasal snuff’, ‘chewing tobacco product’, and ‘oral snuff’ with its subclass ‘snus’. Subclasses of nicotine-containing product include ‘nicotine lozenge’ and ‘nicotine transdermal patch’. Subclasses of vaping device included ‘electronic vaping device’ with a further subclass, ‘e-cigarette’. E-cigarettes have evolved with a complex range of properties including atomiser resistance, battery power, properties of consumables including e-liquid nicotine concentration and flavourings, and the ontology characterises classes of product accordingly. Conclusions: Use of an ontology of tobacco, nicotine and vaping products should help reduce ambiguity and confusion in tobacco control research and practice.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: This project was funded by Cancer Research UK (C64552/A29896) and the Society for the Study of Addiction. S.C. also receives salary support from Cancer Research UK (PRCRPG-Nov21\100002).
Uncontrolled Keywords:	e-cigarette,nicotine,ontology,tobacco,tobacco product,vape,vaping device,psychiatry and mental health,medicine (miscellaneous),sdg 3 - good health and well-being ,/dk/atira/pure/subjectarea/asjc/2700/2738
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Epidemiology and Public Health Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Public Health and Health Services Research (former - to 2023) Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Lifespan Health
Related URLs:	http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?...
Depositing User:	LivePure Connector
Date Deposited:	19 Jul 2022 13:31
Last Modified:	27 Oct 2023 02:05
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/86618
DOI:	10.1111/add.16010

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