Title
A comparison of the Hooked on Nicotine Checklist and the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence in adult smokers
UMMS Affiliation
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health; Center for Health Policy and Research
Publication Date
2006-8
Document Type
Article
Subjects
Adult; Female; Health Surveys; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; *Personal Autonomy; *Personality Inventory; Psychometrics; Questionnaires; Tobacco Use Disorder
Disciplines
Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Preventive Medicine | Primary Care
Abstract
Diminished autonomy is a core feature common to all forms of dependence involving drugs or behaviors. The Hooked on Nicotine Checklist (HONC) is a reliable and valid measure of diminished autonomy over tobacco. It has not previously been compared with the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) in adult smokers. In the present study, 1,130 smokers (M age = 41; M cigs/day = 18.5) completed both measures. Factor analysis yielded one factor for both the HONC and the FTND. Mean HONC score was 7.0, and mean FTND score was 4.6; the measures correlated at r = .44. The HONC had higher internal consistency (alpha = .82) than the FTND (alpha = .61; z(1127) = 7.1, p < .001). The measures correlated similarly with age at smoking onset and days smoked per month, but the FTND correlated higher with cigarette consumption. Subjects who used nicotine replacement therapy or bupropion during an abstinence attempt scored higher on both measures, whereas those who maintained abstinence for at least 3 days scored lower. The HONC has several advantages: (a) It measures a clearly defined construct, and each item has face validity; and it has (b) better psychometric properties, (c) a logical cutpoint (zero symptoms), (d) greater sensitivity to the onset and low levels of dependence, and (e) easily interpretable scores. The HONC is uniquely suited for use with smokers whose cigarette consumption is low.
DOI of Published Version
10.1080/14622200600789965
Source
Nicotine Tob Res. 2006 Aug;8(4):575-80. Link to article on publisher's site
Journal/Book/Conference Title
Nicotine and tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
Related Resources
PubMed ID
16920655
Repository Citation
Wellman, Robert J.; Savageau, Judith A.; Godiwala, Sameer; Savageau, Noelle; Friedman, Karen; Hazelton, Jennifer; and DiFranza, Joseph R., "A comparison of the Hooked on Nicotine Checklist and the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence in adult smokers" (2006). Family Medicine and Community Health Publications and Presentations. 17.
https://escholarship.umassmed.edu/fmch_articles/17
