Indicators of Tobacco Dependence Among Youth: Findings From Wave 1 (2013-2014) of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health Study

David R. Strong, Allison M. Glasser, Eric C. Leas, John P. Pierce, David B. Abrams, Mary Hrywna, Andrew Hyland, K. Michael Cummings, Dorothy K. Hatsukami, Geoffrey T. Fong, Tara Elton-Marshall, Eva Sharma, Kathryn C. Edwards, Cassandra A. Stanton, Michael D. Sawdey, Carolina P. Ramôa, Marushka L. Silveira, Heather L. Kimmel, Raymond S. Niaura

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Background: Prior work established a measure of tobacco dependence (TD) among adults that can be used to compare TD across different tobacco products. We extend this approach to develop a common, cross-product metric for TD among youth. Methods: One thousand one hundred and forty-eight youth aged 12-17 who used a tobacco product in the past 30 days were identified from 13 651 youth respondents in Wave 1 of the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study. Findings: Analyses confirmed a single primary latent construct underlying responses to TD indicators for all mutually exclusive tobacco product user groups. Differential Item Functioning analyses supported the use of 8 of 10 TD indicators for comparisons across groups. With TD levels anchored at 0.0 (standard deviation [SD] = 1.0) among cigarette only (n = 265) use group, mean TD scores were more than a full SD lower for e-cigarette only (n = 150) use group (mean = -1.09; SD = 0.64). Other single product use group (cigar, hookah, pipe, or smokeless; n = 262) on average had lower TD (mean = -0.60; SD = 0.84), and the group with the use of multiple tobacco products (n = 471) experienced similar levels of TD (mean = 0.14; SD = 0.78) as the cigarette only use group. Concurrent validity was established with product use frequency among all user groups. A subset of five TD items comprised a common metric permitting comparisons between youth and adults. Conclusion: The PATH Study Youth Wave 1 Interview provided psychometrically valid measures of TD that enable future regulatory investigations of TD across tobacco products and comparisons between youth and adult tobacco product use group. Implications: A measure of tobacco dependence (TD) has been established previously among adults to compare TD across tobacco products. This study established the validity of a similar, cross-product measure of TD among youth. Findings suggest a single latent TD construct underlying this measure, concurrent validity of the scale with product use frequency across different types of tobacco users, and a subset of common items that can be used to compare TD between youth and adults who use tobacco.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1565-1574
Number of pages10
JournalNicotine and Tobacco Research
Volume25
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 1 2023

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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