Canadian Tobacco and Nicotine Survey (CTNS): 2019 definitions

Prevalence

The proportion of a group or population reporting the indicated behaviour or outcome, usually expressed as a percentage.

Study sample

A group drawn from a larger population to estimate the characteristics of the whole population.

Statistically significant

The observed relationship between two or more variables is unlikely due to chance alone.

Weighted results

Weighting is the statistical technique used to allow the study sample to be representative of the target population; in other words, any participant's response is weighted so that it represents a specific number of identical responses in the target population.

95% confidence interval

Provides a range of values in which the estimated prevalence will fall 95% of the time (i.e., if the survey was repeated 20 times, the results would fall within this range 19 of those times, or 19 times out of 20).

Current smoker

Includes daily smokers and occasional smokers, determined from the responses to the question "During the past 30 days, how often did you smoke cigarettes?"

Daily smoker

Refers to those who respond "daily" to the question "During the past 30 days, how often did you smoke cigarettes?"

Occasional smoker

Refers to those who respond "less than daily, but at least once a week" or "less than once a week, but at least once in the past month" to the question "During the past 30 days, how often did you smoke cigarettes?"

Former smoker

Refers to those who respond "not at all" to the question "During the past 30 days, how often did you smoke cigarettes?" and "yes" to the question "Have you smoked at least 100 cigarettes (about 4 packs) in your life?"

Short term quitter

Refers to a former smoker who quit smoking less than one year prior to the survey, determined by their response to the question "When did you stop smoking cigarettes?"

Long term quitter

Refers to a former smoker who quit smoking a year or more prior to the survey, determined by their response to the question "When did you stop smoking cigarettes?"

Never smoker

Refers to those who respond "not at all" to the question "During the past 30 days, how often did you smoke cigarettes?" and "no" to the question "Have you smoked at least 100 cigarettes (about 4 packs) in your life?" or “no” to the question "Have you ever smoked a whole cigarette?"

Ever smokers

Refers to current and former smokers combined.

E-Cigarettes

Are battery-operated devices that mimic the act and taste of smoking cigarettes but do not contain tobacco. E-cigarettes include vaporizers with e-juice, vape pen, tank, or mod and are available with or without nicotine.

Tobacco products

Are products made in whole or in part of tobacco, including tobacco leaves. This includes cigarettes (including roll-your-own), cigars, little cigars or cigarillos, chewing tobacco, and waterpipe tobacco. E-cigarettes are excluded.

Quit attempt

The number of times a person stopped smoking or vaping for one day or longer because they were trying to quit.