New Findings Reported from P. Vajer and Co-Authors Describe Advances in Smoking.

According to recent research from Budapest, Hungary, "Both full and brief versions of the Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence are promising new measurement tools for studying tobacco dependence. We assessed the psychometric properties and construct validity of the Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives (WISDM)-68 and WISDM-37."

"were adult, treatment-seeking Hungarian daily smokers (N = 720) with Internet access who were also registered on a smoking cessation Web site. Using confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs), we tested the measurement models of both WISDM-68 and WISDM-37, internal consistency of subscales of WISDM-37, and gender invariance. We tested the associations between heaviness of smoking, tobacco dependence symptoms, smoking environment, and subscales of WISDM-37. Although the measurement model of WISDM-68 did not fit adequately, the measurement model of WISDM-37, including 11 correlating factors (affiliative attachment, automaticity, loss of control, cognitive enhancement, craving, cue exposure/associative processes, social/environmental goads, taste, tolerance, weight control, affective enhancement), satisfactorily represents the data. Latent structures are equal in both genders. Internal consistency of subscales of WISDM-37 ranges between 0.67 and 0.90. Tobacco dependence symptoms were significantly linked with all motives, heaviness of smoking was related significantly only to affiliative attachment, automaticity, loss of control, cognitive enhancement, craving, and tolerance, while tobacco dependence symptoms and gender were controlled. Gender was associated only with the weight control motive. Concurring with previous reports using other types of sample, WISDM-37 has sufficient psychometric properties and good construct validity to make it useful in measuring the multidimensional nature of tobacco dependence even in Internet-based research," wrote P. Vajer and colleagues (see also Smoking).

The researchers concluded: "Without precedent, gender equality of WISDM-37 is also supported."

Vajer and colleagues published their study in Nicotine & Tobacco Research (Psychometric Properties and Construct Validity of the Brief Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives in an Internet-Based Sample of Treatment-Seeking Hungarian Smokers. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2011;13(4):273-281).

For additional information, contact R. Urban, Eotvos Lorand University, Dept. of Personal & Health Psychology, Izabella U 46, H-1064 Budapest, HUNGARY.

Publisher contact information for the journal Nicotine & Tobacco Research is: Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon St., Oxford OX2 6DP, England.

Keywords: City:Budapest, Country:Hungary, Region:Europe, Agricultural, Agriculture, Gender Health, Gender Medicine, Smoking, Tobacco Research, Women's Health

This article was prepared by Health & Medicine Week editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2011, Health & Medicine Week via NewsRx.com.