Understanding Smokers’ Preferences for Tobacco Product Attributes in Colombia and Bolivia: A Discrete Choice Experiment

Last registered on August 01, 2025
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Pre-Trial

Trial Information

General Information

Title
Understanding Smokers’ Preferences for Tobacco Product Attributes in Colombia and Bolivia: A Discrete Choice Experiment
RCT ID
AEARCTR-0016485
Initial registration date
July 30, 2025

Initial registration date is when the trial was registered.

It corresponds to when the registration was submitted to the Registry to be reviewed for publication.

First published
August 01, 2025, 10:22 AM EDT

First published corresponds to when the trial was first made public on the Registry after being reviewed.

Last updated
August 01, 2025, 10:56 AM EDT

Last updated is the most recent time when changes to the trial's registration were published.

Locations

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Primary Investigator

Name
Paul Andres Rodriguez Lesmes
Affiliation
Universidad del Rosario
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Other Primary Investigator(s)

PI Name
Joaquín Morales
PI Affiliation
Universidad Privada Boliviana
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PI Name
Guillermo Paraje
PI Affiliation
Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez
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PI Name
Lorena Heller
PI Affiliation
Universidad Privada Boliviana
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Additional Trial Information

Status
On going
Start date
2025-07-30
End date
2026-02-28
Keywords
Behavior, Health
Additional Keywords
tobacco demand; illegal tobacco trade; discrete choice experiment (DCE); willingness to pay (WTP); product attributes
JEL code(s)
C25, D12; D61; I12
Secondary IDs
Prior work
This trial does not extend or rely on any prior RCTs.
Abstract
his study proposes a field-based discrete choice experiment (DCE) complemented by incentivized behavioural tasks to elicit preferences among adult smokers in Colombia and Bolivia. The experiment aims to assess how product attributes such as legality, flavour capsule presence, brand, price, and sale format (pack vs. single cigarette) influence smokers’ choices. By doing so, the study sheds light on consumer preferences in settings characterised by high informality and illegal tobacco trade.

Participants will be recruited in public spaces in Bogotá and Medellín (Colombia) and La Paz/El Alto and Santa Cruz (Bolivia), selected for their contrasting prevalence of illicit tobacco trade. Eligible participants—residents aged 18+ who are current smokers—will complete a short survey on smoking behaviour and socioeconomic status, engage in a DCE using SurveyEngine software on tablets, and answer behavioural economics questions to assess risk and time preferences.

The study seeks to estimate willingness to pay (WTP) for legal status, flavour capsules, and other attributes, and explore heterogeneity in preferences by demographic and behavioural traits. It will generate policy-relevant evidence to inform tobacco control measures, including product regulation, taxation, and illicit trade enforcement. Results will be disseminated via policy briefs, academic articles, and stakeholder meetings.
External Link(s)

Registration Citation

Citation
Heller, Lorena et al. 2025. "Understanding Smokers’ Preferences for Tobacco Product Attributes in Colombia and Bolivia: A Discrete Choice Experiment." AEA RCT Registry. August 01. https://doi.org/10.1257/rct.16485-1.1
Sponsors & Partners

Sponsors

Experimental Details

Interventions

Intervention(s)
This is a survey-based experiment involving:
A discrete choice experiment with five tobacco product attributes
Incentivized behavioural tasks (risk aversion, time preferences)
Short surveys on sociodemographics, health, and smoking habits
Intervention Start Date
2025-07-30
Intervention End Date
2025-10-31

Primary Outcomes

Primary Outcomes (end points)
Estimated WTP for tobacco product attributes (legal status, flavour capsules, brand, price, format)
Primary Outcomes (explanation)

Secondary Outcomes

Secondary Outcomes (end points)
Heterogeneity in preferences by age, gender, addiction level, and behavioural traits
Responses to experimental games (e.g., levels of risk aversion)
Secondary Outcomes (explanation)

Experimental Design

Experimental Design
This is a between-subjects cross-sectional field experiment using quota sampling in four cities. Each participant completes:
A baseline survey (15 minutes)
A tablet-based DCE (8 choice tasks)
Three incentivized behavioural games
Total expected sample size: 1000–3000 smokers (500–1500 per country). Sampling quotas will reflect city-level smoking demographics. Data collection is managed by research teams and survey firms under strict ethical protocols.
Experimental Design Details
Not available
Randomization Method
Randomizations are done automatically in SurveyEngine
Randomization Unit
Individual
Was the treatment clustered?
No

Experiment Characteristics

Sample size: planned number of clusters
Around 500 to 1500 per country
Sample size: planned number of observations
Around 500 to 1500 per country
Sample size (or number of clusters) by treatment arms
Each individual observes multiple versions of the attributes and products, so there is no specific treatment arm
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Minimum detectable effect size for main outcomes (accounting for sample design and clustering)
Supporting Documents and Materials

Documents

Document Name
IRB Approval Colombia
Document Type
irb_protocol
Document Description
IRB Approval Colombia
File
IRB Approval Colombia

MD5: 1e8f014f8e0970b1afa4557ea6ebae35

SHA1: f83fe3517f2221566f35e388a13f82e55ef12e58

Uploaded At: July 30, 2025

IRB

Institutional Review Boards (IRBs)

IRB Name
Comité de ética en investigación de la universidad del Rosario - Sala de ciencias sociales
IRB Approval Date
2025-07-17
IRB Approval Number
Comité de Ética en Investigación Uniersidad del Rosario - Sala de Ciencias Sociales
Analysis Plan

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