Abstinence expectancies and quit attempts

Abstract

Introduction Several scales have been developed to measure expectancies about smoking cessation. This secondary analysis tested the reliability and validity of one of the most commonly used expectancy measures - the Perceived Risks and Benefits of Quitting Scale (PRBQ). Methods Smokers (n = 143) who planned to quit at some point in the next 3 months entered an observational study in which they called an Interactive Voice Response system nightly for 3 months to report quit attempts and abstinence. They completed the PRBQ at baseline and the end of 1, 2 and 3 months. No treatment was provided. Results The Risks scores and Benefit scores of the PRBQ had high internal reliability (alpha = 0.88-0.96 across administrations) and high test-retest stability (ICC = 0.67-0.80), but poor to moderate concurrent validity (correlation with other cessation measures = 0.09-0.52), and poor predictive validity (no significant prediction of quit attempts or duration of abstinence). Results were similar for men and women. Conclusions The PRBQ appears to be reliable but, similar to other scales of cessation expectancies, its validity is poor. The face valid notion that expectations influence quitting requires further testing.

Examining outcome expectancies for smoking vs. abstinence among adult daily smokers

“…Few studies to date have assessed the PRBQ's ability to predict quit attempts and/or abstinence. Hughes and Naud (2016) found that while the PRBQ demonstrated excellent internal and retest reliability and modest concurrent validity with related measures, there was no significant relationship between PRBQ scores and quit attempts or abstinence. Since this particular study only involved smokers who endorsed the intention to quit smoking within three months, further research would be helpful to assess predictive validity of this measure among a wider variety of smokers.…”