PATH Study FAQs for Researchers

FAQs

PATH Study Series Page

Overview of the PATH Study

Who is sponsoring the PATH Study?

The PATH Study is a collaboration between the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Center for Tobacco Products (CTP), Food and Drug Administration (FDA). NIH/NIDA awarded a research contract to Westat, an independent research firm in Maryland, to conduct the PATH Study. Beginning in fiscal year 2024, several NIH institutes, offices, and centers also support the PATH Study. These include the National Cancer Institute, National Institute on Minority Health and Disparities, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, and the Office of the Director.

What is the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (FSPTCA)?

The FSPTCA was signed into law in 2009 and gave the FDA the authority to regulate the manufacture, marketing, and distribution of tobacco products.

Some of the specific authorities that the FSPTCA grants to FDA include:

  • Restricting tobacco sales, distribution, and marketing to youth
  • Requiring disclosure of tobacco product ingredients
  • Implementing standards for tobacco products to protect public health
  • Requiring warning labels on smokeless tobacco products
What is the timeline for the PATH Study?
Wave #Begin DateEnd DateRUF Release DatePUF Release Date
Wave 1September 2023December 2014December 2015August 2016
Wave 2October 2014October 2015March 2017June 2017
Wave 3October 2015October 2016May 2018September 2018
Wave 4December 2016January 2018May 2019November 2019
Wave 4.5 (Special Collection)December 2017December 2018March 2020September 2020
Wave 5December 2018November 2019February 2021September 2021
Wave 5.5 (Special Collection)December 2019December 2020April 2022October 2022
Adult Telephone Survey (Special Collection)September 2020December 2020April 2022October 2022
Wave 6March 2021November 2021March 2023September 2023
Wave 7January 2022April 2023April 2024*December 2024*
Wave 7.5 (Special Collection)April 2023December 2023April 2025Summer 2025*
Wave 8January 2024December 2024*Fall 2025*Summer 2026*
Wave 8.5 (Special Collection)February 2025December 2025*Fall 2026*Summer 2027*

* Projected dates may change

Notice for Wave 8 Data Collection of the PATH Study:  Wave 8 data were collected with a mix of in-person and Web interviews.

Urine and blood biospecimens were collected from select participants in Wave 8. The Wave 8 fielded questionnaires are available for download under the Documentation and Publications topic below.

What future data collections are planned for the PATH Study?

Data collection for Wave 9 is scheduled to begin in January 2026 and end in December 2026. Data will be collected primarily through Web interviews. No biospecimens will be collected in Wave 9.

What are some of the characteristics of PATH Study data collection waves?

An infographic that provides a summary of PATH Study design features, data collection, and access to study data is available here.

A table summarizing the PATH Study data collection protocol by wave (pdf) is available here. The table shows PATH Study protocols for Waves 1 through 7.5, including special collection studies. The protocols outlined in the table for each wave include data collection period, interview modes, participants and instruments fielded, and biospecimen collection.

Documentation and Publications

Can I request a copy of the questionnaires that are being used for the PATH Study?

The Adult and Youth/Parent questionnaires and supporting documentation for Waves 1 through 7 are available on the RUF and PUF pages on the NAHDAP website and also provided below.

Wave 1

Wave 2

Wave 3

Wave 4

Wave 5

Wave 6

Wave 7

Wave 8

The Biomarker questionnaires and supporting documentation for Waves 1 through 5 and Wave 7 are available on the Biomarker RUF page on the NAHDAP Website and also provided below.

Please note that the Wave 8 instruments with Nicotine Exposure Questions below are not the final versions of the instruments, but they are the versions that were fielded. The final annotated instruments and codebooks, updated in response to any issues identified and corrected during or after fielding, will be available when the data are released. 

How can I tell if a particular question or set of questions were asked across waves? NEW FAQ!

The PATH Study documentation includes variable-level crosswalks for each instrument that indicate whether a question or set of questions were asked in each wave. These crosswalk files are auxiliary files that can be used in conjunction with the annotated instruments and codebooks to quickly compare content across waves. The crosswalk files link questions across waves for each respective instrument so that users can easily identify the number of waves or time points at which data for specific questions are available for analyses. The crosswalks include variables from primary waves and special collections. The PATH Study Adult Variable Crosswalk (xlsx) and the PATH Study Youth Variable Crosswalk (xlsx)  are available as Excel workbook files under the Study-Level Files in the RUF, SCRUF, PUF, and SCPUF collections. These files are updated when data and documentation are released in the aforementioned collections.

Can I use the PATH Study questionnaires for my own research?

The PATH Study's documentation is available for your use and may be reproduced in whole or in part without permission from NIH's National Institute on Drug Abuse or FDA's Center for Tobacco Products. Please cite your use of the PATH Study Questionnaire in your publication appropriately using the "Data and Documentation" citation included in the response to the next question.

How can I cite PATH Study data or documents used in my research?

Please note the citations below are templates. We request researchers replace "YYYY-MM-DD" with the current version date (date of distribution by ICPSR for the current version of the respective data collection) and replace "XX" with the current version number. The version date and version number are displayed at the top of the web page for each study in the PATH Study series. The suggested citations for various PATH Study offerings are specified below.

Data and documentation

PATH Study Restricted Use Files (RUF):
United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Drug Abuse, and United States Department of Health and Human Services. Food and Drug Administration. Center for Tobacco Products. Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study [United States] Restricted-Use Files. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], YYYY-MM-DD. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36231.vXX

PATH Study Biomarker Restricted Use Files (BRUF):
United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Drug Abuse, and United States Department of Health and Human Services. Food and Drug Administration. Center for Tobacco Products. Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study [United States] Biomarker Restricted-Use Files. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], YYYY-MM-DD. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36840.vXX

PATH Study Special Collection Restricted Use Files (SCRUF):
United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Drug Abuse, and United States Department of Health and Human Services. Food and Drug Administration. Center for Tobacco Products. Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study [United States] Special Collection Restricted-Use Files. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], YYYY-MM-DD. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR37519.vXX

PATH Study Public Use Files (PUF):
United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Drug Abuse, and United States Department of Health and Human Services. Food and Drug Administration. Center for Tobacco Products. Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study [United States] Public-Use Files. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], YYYY-MM-DD. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36498.vXX

PATH Study Special Collection Public Use Files (SCPUF):
United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Drug Abuse, and United States Department of Health and Human Services. Food and Drug Administration. Center for Tobacco Products. Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study [United States] Special Collection Public-Use Files. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], YYYY-MM-DD. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR37786.vXX

User Guides

PATH Study Restricted Use Files (RUF) User Guide:
United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Drug Abuse, and United States Department of Health and Human Services. Food and Drug Administration. Center for Tobacco Products. Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study [United States] Restricted-Use Files, User Guide. ICPSR36231-vXX Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], YYYY-MM-DD. http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36231.userguide

PATH Study State Identifier Restricted Use Files (SIRUF) User Guide:
United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Drug Abuse, and United States Department of Health and Human Services. Food and Drug Administration. Center for Tobacco Products. Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study [United States] State Identifier Restricted-Use Files, User Guide. ICPSR36231-vXX Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], YYYY-MM- DD. http://doi.org/10.3886/70z7-0j44

PATH Study Tobacco Universal Product Code (UPC) Restricted Use Files User Guide:
United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Drug Abuse, and United States Department of Health and Human Services. Food and Drug Administration. Center for Tobacco Products. Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study [United States] Tobacco Universal Product Code (UPC) Restricted-Use Files, User Guide. ICPSR36231-vXX Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], YYYY-MM-DD. http://doi.org/10.3886/c0kr-hx51

PATH Study Biomarker Restricted Use Files (BRUF) User Guide:
United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Drug Abuse, and United States Department of Health and Human Services. Food and Drug Administration. Center for Tobacco Products. Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study [United States] Biomarker Restricted-Use Files, User Guide. ICPSR36840-vXX Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], YYYY-MM- DD. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36840.userguide_restricted

PATH Study Special Collection Restricted Use Files (SCRUF) User Guide:
United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Drug Abuse, and United States Department of Health and Human Services. Food and Drug Administration. Center for Tobacco Products. Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study [United States] Restricted-Use Files, User Guide. ICPSR36231-vXX Ann Arbor, MI: Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], YYYY-MM-DD. http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36231.userguide

PATH Study Public Use Files (PUF) User Guide:
United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Drug Abuse, and United States Department of Health and Human Services. Food and Drug Administration. Center for Tobacco Products. Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study [United States] Public-Use Files, User Guide. ICPSR36498-vXX Ann Arbor, MI: Inter- university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], YYYY-MM-DD. http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36498.userguide

PATH Study Special Collection Public Use Files (SCPUF) User Guide:
United States Department of Health and Human Services. National Institutes of Health. National Institute on Drug Abuse, and United States Department of Health and Human Services. Food and Drug Administration. Center for Tobacco Products. Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study [United States] Public-Use Files, User Guide. ICPSR36498-vXX Ann Arbor, MI: Inter- university Consortium for Political and Social Research [distributor], YYYY-MM-DD. http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36498.userguide


 

What are the Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) for the PATH Study?

PATH Study Series Page
https://doi.org/10.3886/Series606

Please note the DOI links below are templates. We request researchers replace “XX” with the current version number. The version number is displayed at the top of the web page for each study in the PATH Study series.

PATH Study Restricted Use Files (RUF):
https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36231.vXX

PATH Study Biomarker Restricted Use Files (BRUF):
https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36840.vXX

PATH Study Special Collection Restricted Use Files (SCRUF):
https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR37519.vXX

PATH Study Public Use Files (PUF):
https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36498.vXX

PATH Study Special Collection Public Use Files (SCPUF):
https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR37786.vXX

Are pdfs of PATH Study publications available?

Due to publication restrictions by journals, the PATH Study is not permitted to distribute pdfs of the articles published using the PATH Study data. However, these articles are cited on the PATH Study Series page. You may be able to access these publications through your individual and/or institutional subscriptions. Publications supported by NIH funds will become publicly available at PubMed Central no later than 12 months after the official date of publication, as noted in the NIH Public Access Policy. Other journals may make their articles open-access. Alternatively, you can contact the corresponding author directly to request a copy of the article.

Are pdfs of PATH Study-supported posters and presentations available?

A list of PATH Study-supported posters and presentations can be found here. If you are interested in obtaining a pdf copy of the PATH Study-supported posters and presentations, please email the request directly to the presentation/poster author. Please note that PATH Study-related presentations that were not supported by the contract are not included in this list.

Does the PATH Study provide information about tobacco use?

Yes, the PATH Study has created a series of cross-sectional and longitudinal data tables and figures that provide information about tobacco use among youth (aged 12-17), young adults (aged 18-24), and adults (aged 25+). These Data Tables and Figures are available for public use.

Special Collection Studies

What are special collection studies?

Special collections occur between biannual primary data collection waves and focus on a subsample of participants. No biospecimens are collected during special collection studies. Annotated or fielded instruments are available for download (refer to the next question.)

Wave 4.5 was a special data collection that occurred between Wave 4 and Wave 5. Data collection began in December 2017 and ended in December 2018. Data were collected from PATH Study youth participants who were aged 12 to 17 years old at the time of Wave 4.5.

Wave 5.5 was a special data collection that occurred between Wave 5 and Wave 6. Data collection began in December 2019 and ended in December 2020. Data were collected from PATH Study youth participants who were aged 13 to 17 years old and adult participants who were aged 18 and 19 years old at the time of Wave 5.5.

Data collection for Wave 5.5 was temporarily suspended on March 17, 2020, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among participants and interviewers, and to comply with local and state restrictions.

In order to maintain the safety of PATH Study participants and interviewers, data collection for Wave 5.5 resumed in July 2020 as telephone interviews only and concluded on December 31, 2020. The Wave 5.5 RUF and PUF contain weighted data only from these telephone interviews.

The PATH Study Adult Telephone Survey (PATH-ATS) was a special data collection that occurred between September 10, 2020 and December 20, 2020. Data were collected by telephone from a subsample of PATH Study adult participants who were aged 20 or older at the time of PATH-ATS. 

Wave 7.5 was a special data collection that occurred between Wave 7 and Wave 8. Data collection began in April 2023 and ended in December 2023. Data were collected from PATH Study youth participants who were aged 12 to 17 years old and adult participants who were aged 18 to 22 years old at the time of Wave 7.5.

Wave 8.5 is a special data collection that is in progress between Wave 8 and the scheduled Wave 9. Data collection began in February 2025 and is scheduled to end in December 2025. Data are being collected from PATH Study youth participants who are 12 to 17 years old and adult participants who are 18 to 24 years old at the time of Wave 8.5.

Can I request a copy of the questionnaires that are being used for the Special Collection Studies?

The questionnaires and supporting documentation are available on the RUF page on the NAHDAP website and provided below.

Wave 4.5

Wave 5.5

PATH-ATS

Wave 7.5

Wave 8.5

Please note that the Wave 8.5 instruments below are not the final versions of the instruments, but they are the versions that were fielded. The final annotated instruments and codebooks, updated in response to any issues identified and corrected during or after fielding, will be available when the data are released.

Access to the Data

How do I get access to the PATH Study Restricted-Use Files (RUF)?

The questionnaire data in the PATH Study RUF are only accessible through the ICPSR Virtual Data Enclave (VDE). Use the "Access Restricted Data" link in the PATH Study RUF Access Notes. The initial screen in the VDE Management System describes the process to apply. Applicants are encouraged to also read our online VDE Guide.

How do I get access to the PATH Study Biomarker Restricted-Use Files (BRUF)?

The PATH Study Biomarker RUF is only accessible through the ICPSR Virtual Data Enclave (VDE). Use the "Access Restricted Data" link in the PATH Study Biomarker RUF Access Notes. The initial screen in the VDE Management System describes the process to apply. Applicants are encouraged to also read our online VDE Guide.

How do I get access to the PATH Study biospecimens?

Notice: As of April 24, 2025, the Biospecimen Access Program (BAP) will be on hiatus and will not accept any new concept statements or applications.

When the BAP is available, researchers interested in accessing PATH Study biospecimens for biospecimen research can refer to the PATH Study Biospecimen Access Program page. This page provides instructions on applying for access, the schedule for reviewing applications, and frequently asked questions about the program.

I am using the PATH Study Restricted-Use Files. What are the appropriate procedures that I should follow?

Please refer to our VDE Guide, which includes information about using the VDE and how to request disclosure review of VDE output. Please cite your use of the PATH Study RUFs in your publication using the citations provided in the PATH Study RUF study description and the PATH Study Biomarker RUF study description. In addition, use the citation web form to notify ICPSR of your publication so that it can be added to the ICPSR Bibliography.

I am using the PATH Study Public-Use Files. What are the appropriate procedures that I should follow?

Since you are using the PATH Study PUF downloaded from the NAHDAP Website, you can analyze and publish from those data without having NAHDAP review any of your materials before publication. However, when presenting or publishing on that data, remember that you are required by the PUF's Terms of Use to protect the identity of all research subjects and the confidentiality of the information that they provided from deductive disclosure. Please cite your use of the PATH Study PUF in your publication using the citation provided in the PATH Study PUF study description and in the FAQ above (How can I cite PATH Study data and documentation). In addition, use the citation web form to notify ICPSR of your publication so that it can be added to the ICPSR Bibliography.

Learning Resources

How can I learn more about the PATH Study?

The PATH Study team has prepared instructional videos to help researchers.

  • The PATH Study 101 video provides an overview of the PATH Study design and methods, the data collection protocol, data types, data collection instruments, and data documentation.
  • The PATH Study 102 video provides an overview of accessing and using PATH Study data, an introduction to the Biospecimen Access Program (BAP), and a review of resources related to the PATH Study on the NAHDAP web pages.
  • The PATH Study 103 video provides an overview of the complex sample design and available weights (including cross-sectional, single-wave, and all-waves, weights) in Waves 1 through 5.
  • The PATH Study 201 video is Part 1 of a webinar that provides examples of longitudinal data analysis approaches that can be used with the PATH Study data.
  • The PATH Study 202 video is Part 2 of a webinar that provides additional examples of longitudinal data analysis approaches that can be used with the PATH Study data.
  • The PATH Study 203 video is a webinar that provides an overview of how to conduct a discrete-time survival analysis with PATH Study data.
  • The PATH Study 204 video provides an overview of causal modeling and how to conduct moderation and mediation analyses using PATH Study data.
I have questions regarding the collection, content, weighting, documentation, or structure of PATH Study data. Whom do I contact for assistance?

Questions about the collection, content, weighting, documentation, or structure of PATH Study data may be submitted to the new Westat email: PATHDataUserQuestions@Westat.com. NOTE: This email address is not for questions about statistical analysis or analytic guidance. For analytic questions, researchers may wish to consult with statisticians and analysts at their institutions. 

Data Analysis

I have questions regarding my data analysis files or statistical code. Whom do I contact for assistance?

The PATH Study is unable to assist with individual analytic questions from researchers. Researchers are encouraged to consult other pages at ICPSR such as the Help and User Guide and the Teaching & Learning pages. You may also wish to consult with statisticians and analysts at your institution with more specific questions.

Is there a special funding announcement for existing data analysis specifically for the PATH Study data or existing data analysis grants other than the conventional mechanisms, e.g., a R03?

The PATH Study does not provide funding for existing data analysis. However, interested researchers are encouraged to check the NIH Guide to Grants and Contracts page for funding opportunity announcements that suit their research goals.

Specific Data Content

How were the nicotine dependence questions in the PATH Study instruments developed?

The nicotine dependence questions were developed using various nicotine dependence scales, including the following: Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives (WISDM (primary and secondary)), Hooked on Nicotine Checklist (HONC), Nicotine Dependence Syndrome Scale (NDSS), Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) (risky use, social impairment, impaired control, withdrawal) and The Fagerstrom test for Nicotine Dependence.

Will researchers be able to access the tobacco product images used in the PATH Study?

The generic tobacco product images used in the questionnaire are included in the appendix of the annotated instruments. However, due to the PATH Study's legal agreement with the advertising monitoring and aggregation companies that furnished the tobacco product advertisements used in the first wave of the study, the specific tobacco product images cannot be released.