Time to first cigarette in the morning as an index of ability to quit smoking: Implications for nicotine dependence

TLDR

Tobacco dependence is marked by difficulty maintaining abstinence, yet few studies have examined how existing dependence measures predict cessation outcomes. The study aimed to evaluate how different nicotine dependence scales predict successful quitting. It analyzed data from four placebo‑controlled cessation trials and an international epidemiological study. The time‑to‑first‑cigarette item accounted for most of the FTND’s predictive validity and outperformed all other single items, indicating it captures heavy, automatic smoking and serves as a strong single‑item nicotine dependence measure.

Abstract

An inability to maintain abstinence is a key indicator of tobacco dependence. Unfortunately, little evidence exists regarding the ability of the major tobacco dependence measures to predict smoking cessation outcome. This paper used data from four placebo-controlled smoking cessation trials and one international epidemiological study to determine relations between cessation success and the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), the Heaviness of Smoking Index, the Nicotine Dependence Syndrome Scale, and the Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives. Results showed that much of the predictive validity of the FTND could be attributed to its first item, time to first cigarette in the morning, and this item had greater validity than any other single measure. Thus the time-to-first-cigarette item appears to tap a pattern of heavy, uninterrupted, and automatic smoking and may be a good single-item measure of nicotine dependence.