Indicators of dependence for different types of tobacco product users: Descriptive findings from Wave 1 (2013–2014) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) study. (1st September 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Strong, David R.; Pearson, Jennifer; Ehlke, Sarah; Kirchner, Thomas; Abrams, David; Taylor, Kristie; Compton, Wilson M.; Conway, Kevin P.; Lambert, Elizabeth; Green, Victoria R.; Hull, Lynn C.; Evans, Sarah E.; Cummings, K. Michael; Goniewicz, Maciej; Hyland, Andrew; Niaura, Raymond
• Is Part Of: Drug and alcohol dependence. Volume 178(2017)
• Page Start: 257
• Page End: 266
• Publication Date: 2017-09-01
• Subjects: Nicotine dependence -- E-cigarette dependence -- Poly-tobacco dependence -- Item response theory; Drug abuse -- Periodicals; Alcoholism -- Periodicals; 616.86
• DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.05.010
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0376-8716

Abstract

Abstract: Background and aims: With no established standard for assessing tobacco dependence (TD) across tobacco products in surveys, the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study provides a unique platform for examining the psychometric properties and validity of multiple indicators of tobacco dependence across a range of tobacco products. Participants: A U.S. nationally representative sample from the 32, 320 adult Wave 1 interviews with analyses focused on 14, 287 respondents who were current established users of tobacco products. Findings: This analysis confirms a single primary latent construct underlying responses to TD indicators for cigarettes, e-cigarettes, cigars, hookah, and smokeless tobacco products. Mutually exclusive past year tobacco-user groups included: cigarette only (n = 8689), e-cigarette only (n = 437), cigar only (traditional, cigarillo, or filtered) (n = 706), hookah only (n = 461), smokeless tobacco only (n = 971), cigarette plus e-cigarette (n = 709), and multiple tobacco product users (n = 2314). Differential Item Functioning (DIF) analyses supported use of 16 of the 24 examined TD indicators for comparisons across tobacco users. With cigarette users as a reference (mean = 0.0, SD = 1.0), we observed a range of TD with hookah (mean = −1.71) and cigar (mean = −1.92) only users being the lowest, and cigarette plus e-cigarette product users being the highest (mean = 0.35). Regression models including sociodemographic factors supported concurrent validity with increased product use frequency and TD among cigarette-only (p < 0.001), e-cigarette only (p < 0.002), cigar (p < 0.001), hookah only (p < 0.001), and smokeless tobacco users (p < 0.001). Conclusion: The PATH Study Adult Wave 1 Questionnaire provided psychometrically valid measures of TD that enables future regulatory investigations of nicotine dependence across tobacco products.