Reciprocal associations between cigarette consumption and DSM-IV nicotine dependence criteria in adolescent smokers

Abstract

Aims To examine the interrelationships between cigarette consumption and DSM-IV nicotine dependence (ND) criteria from smoking onset in adolescence up to seven years later, adjusting for alcohol consumption and DSM-IV alcohol dependence (AD) criteria. Design A cohort drawn from grades 6-10 in an urban school system was interviewed five times at 6-month intervals (Waves 1-5) and 4.5 years later (Wave 6). A parent was interviewed three times. Setting Chicago, Illinois. Participants Recent smokers (n=409). Measurements Structured household interviews ascertained number of cigarettes smoked, DSM-IV ND symptoms, drinks consumed, DSM-IV AD symptoms, and selected covariates. Analysis Reciprocal prospective associations between number of cigarettes smoked and ND criteria, controlling for time-varying alcohol consumption and dependence criteria, were examined with cross-lagged models. Findings Reciprocal associations between number of cigarettes smoked and ND criteria were both significant. Cigarette consumption had stronger associations with later ND (β=0.25, 95% CI=0.17-0.32) than dependence had with later cigarette consumption (β=0.09, 95% CI=0.01-0.16). Alcohol and cigarette consumption influenced each other; AD scores were associated with later ND scores but not the reverse. Reports of pleasant initial experiences from smoking were positively associated with cigarette consumption and ND the first year after smoking onset; later smoking onset was negatively associated with cigarette consumption the seventh year after onset; parental ND predicted cigarette consumption and ND throughout. Conclusions In adolescent smokers, higher cigarette consumption predicts later severity of DSM-IV nicotine dependence more than the reverse. Smoking and drinking also influence each other mutually over time.

Early-Emerging Nicotine Dependence Has Lasting and Time-Varying Effects on Adolescent Smoking Behavior

“…Once regular smoking patterns are established, however, prior smoking behavior becomes such a strong predictor of future smoking behavior (Selya, Dierker, Rose, Hedeker, & Mermelstein, 2012; Selya et al, 2013) that nicotine dependence becomes a weak or insignificant predictor. Early-emerging nicotine dependence assessed from novice smokers, then, may provide a special insight into one's initial sensitivity or susceptibility to nicotine dependence, while nicotine dependence assessed from more experienced smokers is likely to be conflated with the subsequent effects of smoking on nicotine dependence (Hu, Griesler, Wall, & Kandel, 2014). Put another way, nicotine dependence and smoking have a bi-directional relationship (Doubeni, Reed, & Difranza, 2010), and early-emerging nicotine dependence assessed from novices may more precisely measure one's susceptibility to future chronic smoking.…”

“…Previous studies have shown that the cross-sectional association between nicotine dependence and smoking frequency increases in strength over time (Selya, Dierker, Rose, Hedeker, Tan, et al, 2012), and that nicotine dependence and smoking behavior have strong reciprocal relationships based on cross-lagged analyses (Doubeni et al, 2010), with smoking behavior being a stronger predictor of nicotine dependence symptoms than vice versa (Hu et al, 2014). The current study is consistent with this literature in that it shows the importance of early-emerging nicotine dependence in establishing regular and long-term smoking patterns, and extends it by showing that ND assessed within 2 years of age 15 predicts smoking frequency beyond age 24, over and above concurrent past-week smoking frequency.…”

Assessment of successful smoking cessation by psychological factors using the Bayesian network approach

“…The marginal probability distribution of the condition showed the success rate was 63.64%. The low PYS indicated the weak nicotine addiction (Heatherton, Kozlowski, Frecker, & Fagerstrom, 1991;Hu, Griesler, Wall, & Kandel, 2014). The high SA implied that these people had some health problems (DeJean et al, 2013;Zung, 1971) so that they had to keep smoking abstinence because the doctors usually advised them doing it when they go to see doctors.…”

Can tobacco dependence provide insights into other drug addictions?

“…[17, 28, 37, 49] The prevalence of craving and other symptoms increases to about 95 % among youth who have smoked 100 or more cigarettes [17, 52, 53]. …”

“…Early symptoms of dependence predict continued and escalating smoking [37]. Shortening latencies promote an escalation in smoking frequency, while more frequent smoking promotes the progression of dependence in a mutually reinforcing cycle [45, 53, 55]. The number and intensity of the symptoms experienced by very light smokers is disproportionate to their tobacco consumption, with some nondaily smokers describing their withdrawal symptoms as unbearable [56–58].…”