Fagerström Test For Nicotine Dependence Research Articles

The role of self-discontentment and impulsivity for youth smoking behavior, nicotine dependence and future smoking intention in a clinical sample of Turkish adolescents.

Smoking is one of the most important public health problems among young people. Potential risk factors that may cause vulnerability to smoke in youth should be well known and investigated. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the associations of current smoking behavior and future smoking intention with high-risk personality traits for substance abuse in a clinical sample of Turkish adolescents, and also evaluate nicotine dependence and smoking characteristics with the personality traits in a subsample of regular smokers. A cross-sectional study was adopted in which 196 participants took part (aged 14-18 years with a mean of 16.7 years). The assessment consisted of a sociodemographic questionnaire that also questions current smoking behavior and future smoking intention; and additionally, two self-administered instruments including the Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) for all participants, and Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) for only regular smokers. Regular smokers scored higher than never smokers on the lack of self-contentment subscale of SURPS (F(2)=3.30, p=.039). Future smoking intention was found to be associated with nicotine dependence (F(3)=6.67, p=.001). Regular smokers with high levels of nicotine dependence had higher levels of impulsivity and smoked more cigarettes per day than those with low levels of nicotine dependence (t=2.489, p=.017; and t=3.530, p=.001, respectively). The structural equation models (SEM) were created based on these results and the personality theory for substance abuse. The SEM results showed that the first evidence that lack of selfcontentment positively influences regularly smoking behavior and impulsivity positively influences future smoking intention through nicotine dependence. Lack of self-contentment and impulsivity may mediate the transition from current smoking behavior to future tobacco use disorders in Turkish adolescents. The assessment and intervention of selfdiscontentment and impulsivity can be beneficial in reducing the current smoking behavior in Turkish adolescents.

Smoking and nicotine dependence in relation to depression, anxiety, and stress in Egyptian adults: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND:Much research has found that smoking is one of the major risk factors for a variety of physical diseases and mental disorders; however, few studies have been conducted on smoking in Egypt. Furthermore, to the researcher's best knowledge, no study in Egypt has compiled data on smoking prevalence, motives, and levels of nicotine dependency. In order to fill in this gap, the current study has attempted to summarize the situation and construct an accurate picture of smoking in Egypt.MATERIALS AND METHODS:This cross-sectional study included 2000 Egyptian adults in Fayoum through a multistage cluster sampling technique. For data collection, the Socioeconomic Status Scale was deployed. In addition, Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale (DASS), the Modified Reasons for Smoking Scale (MRSS), and Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) were used. Data analysis performed using SPSS version 22.0. For qualitative data, Chi-square test was used to determine statistical significance. Bivariate Pearson correlation was used to test for the association between quantitative variables.RESULTS:Of the total sample of 2000 adults, 40.4% had anxiety and 24.3% had stress, and 19.5% showed severe to extremely severe level of depression. For MRSS, tension reduction or relaxation was found in 46.5% adults while 9.8% had high level of nicotine dependence. There was a statistically significant association between psychometric disorders, on one hand, and both smoking motivation and nicotine dependence, on the other (P < 0.001). The DASS score had a statistically significant correlation with age, smoking duration, nicotine dependence level, and MRSS subscales.CONCLUSION:Smoking is linked to psychological symptoms and shows a moderate to high level of nicotine dependence, with a higher level of dependency, smoking pleasure, stress reduction/ relaxation, and hand-mouth movement as motives for smoking. Furthermore, there was a correlation between nicotine dependence, on one hand, and depression and stress on the other.

Prevalence of tobacco smoking in a sample of general secondary school students in Cairo and its correlation to other psychiatric disorders

BackgroundTobacco smoking is considered currently a global public health concern among youth especially school students. There is a scarcity of data about the impact of this global phenomenon in Middle Eastern countries. This study assesses the prevalence of tobacco smoking, including conventional cigarettes, E-cigarettes, and water pipe and its sociodemographic and psychiatric correlates among a sample of general secondary school students in Cairo, Egypt.ResultsA convenient sample of 391 Egyptian general secondary students from different areas of Greater Cairo were assessed using the Socioeconomic scale, Fagerstrom Test For Nicotine Dependence, The Lebanon Water pipe Dependence Scale, questionnaire for electronic cigarette use, Barratt impulsivity scale 11, and The MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents. 12.8% (n = 50) were smokers. There is a significant relation between family history of smoking and substance use and smoking and significant relation between smoking, impulsivity, and mood symptoms.ConclusionsPrevalence of tobacco smoking in Egyptian adolescents was 12.8% with significant relation between smoking and impulsivity and mood symptoms.

Prevalence and severity of tobacco use and access to tobacco cessation among tertiary care psychiatric in-patients in India.

Rates of smoking in persons with mental illness are reported to be two times higher than those without mental illness in developed countries. We aimed to examine the prevalence and severity of tobacco use, and access to tobacco cessation services among tertiary care psychiatric in-patients in India. In this cross-sectional study, 500 consecutive adult in-patients in tertiary care with ICD 10 diagnoses, F20-59, were administered a sociodemographic and clinical proforma, Clinical Global Impression-Severity scale, Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence, Tobacco Craving Questionnaire, Reasons for quitting questionnaire, and Smoke Scale-Adults. Urine cotinine levels were estimated in the last 100 patients. Details of tobacco use and cessation interventions provided were obtained. Overall prevalence of current tobacco use was 34.00%; 34.3%, 32.6%, 43.6%, and 16.7% in patients of F20-29, F30-39, F40-49, and F50-59 categories, respectively. Males used tobacco products at a significantly higher rate (44.85% vs. 17.58% in females) and were highly dependent. Smokeless tobacco use was reported in 20.5% and 18% of female patients with F20-29 and F30-39 diagnoses, respectively. More than half of the tobacco users were not asked about tobacco use and 89.4% of the users were provided no prior assistance for cessation at the time of assessment. Urinary cotinine levels were significantly greater for those who use smokeless forms than smokers or dual users. Nearly a third of psychiatric in-patients are current users of tobacco. Moderate to severe tobacco dependence was observed across psychiatric diagnoses. The assessment and interventions provided were suboptimal.

Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging Features of Nicotine-Dependent Individuals and Its Correlation with Polymorphisms of Dopamine D Receptor Gene.

The aim of this research was developed to provide a scientific basis for individualized prevention, clinical diagnosis, and corrective treatment of nicotine addiction. The objects were 214 cases in the smoke group and 43 cases in the control group. According to the Fagerstrom Nicotine Dependence Test (FTND), the smokers were divided into mild nicotine dependence group (FTND < 6 points, 138 cases) and nicotine severe dependence group (≥6 points, 76 cases). The brain structure in long-term smokers was evaluated by using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The nicotine dependence was further analyzed by grouping the included individuals, and some candidate genes related to nicotine addiction were screened by combining with bioinformatics analysis. The family research strategy was adopted to detect nicotine addiction susceptibility genes and their polymorphisms. The MRI imaging results showed that the bilateral thalamus, right parietal, and left lens gram-molecule volume (GMV) were negatively correlated with smoking index and smoking years in the smoking group. The GMV of the posterior cingulate cortex in the severe nicotine dependence group was lower than that of the control group, and the GMVs of bilateral thalamus and bilateral superior limbic gyrus in the mild nicotine dependence group were lower than those of the control group. The gene polymorphism detection showed that rs6275 was highly polymorphic in the target population and the frequency of rs6275-C allele was 53.26%. Therefore, the MRI imaging characteristics suggested that the affected brain regions of smokers and people with varying degrees of nicotine dependence were mainly concentrated in response-related pathways and the limbic system and had cumulative effects on the central nervous system. In addition, the M6275 polymorphism of DRD2 gene was associated with susceptibility to nicotine addiction in Chinese population, and the M6275-C allele had a protective effect on susceptibility to nicotine addiction and smoking initiation.

Factors associated with smoking habits among undergraduate medical students: a cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Objectives Determination of smoking habits of medical students in Belgrade and the factors influencing cigarette use. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted among undergraduate medical students from all study years at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, during the 2015–2016 academic session. A questionnaire, composed of four parts, was administered to all participants: 1. socio-demographic characteristics; 2. habits and lifestyle; 3. Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence; 4. the Rosenberg self-esteem scale. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors significantly associated with cigarette smoking. Results A total of 2551 subjects, which constituted 81.8% of all undergraduate medical students, participated in the survey. The prevalence of current regular smokers among medical students was 21.7%. The results obtained using the Fagerstrom tolerance scale showed that 41.8% of the students had high nicotine dependence. According to the results of a multivariate analysis, the following were the independent determinants of being a smoker: being male, grade point average of <8/10, daily coffee consumption, self-reported excessive leisure time, self-reported pressure from parents, alcohol consumption, and smokers among parents. Conclusions Understanding the factors influencing tobacco use is the first step in implementing prevention strategies and can be helpful in the cessation of smoking.

Assessment of Tobacco Dependence in Al-Bayda City, Libya

Tobacco is the second leading cause of the death in adults in the world today. This is because of tobacco dependence. Therefore, aim of this study is to assess the level of nicotine dependence through a small random group of smokers in the city of Al-Bayda using the Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence and to know the extent of desire to quit and take action. The study included 150 male smokers, with an age group ranging between 18-60 years, in the period between February and June 2020 through a questionnaire containing six questions from the Fagerstrom test and collected smoking risks and presence of smoking cessation medications. Data were collected and statistically evaluated using chi-square. Most of the participants had a family history, they were smoking imitating brother, father and friends. The average number of cigarettes consumed was more than 31 cigarettes per day, with a 5-minute time difference being the highest. The rate of desire to smoke was observed in the morning hours more than others. The proportion was also high for those who were unable to stop in public even while ill. Most of them are aware of the existence of drugs that help in smoking cessation. As for the attempts to quit, there were attempts during different periods of time, most of which failed due to physical and social reasons. Most of the results indicate a high rate of dependence among smokers, for reasons that may be social and economic. Therefore, we need more data and a wider study area through health centers and try to understand the reasons for returning to smoking and treating them. work to validate reliability.

Prevalence of tobacco dependence and associated factors among patients with schizophrenia attending their treatments at southwest Ethiopia; hospital-based cross-sectional study

Tobacco smoking is the most typically employed in patients with mental disorders; among them, patients with schizophrenia are the very best users. The rate of smoking among patients with schizophrenia is between two and three times greater than the general population in western countries. However, there is a scarcity of studies on the magnitude and associated factors of tobacco dependence among patients with schizophrenia in Ethiopia. Therefore, we assessed the prevalence of tobacco dependence and associated factors among patients with schizophrenia at Mettu Karl referral, Bedelle, and Agaro hospitals, Southwest, Ethiopia. Hospital-based the multistage stratified cross-sectional study design was conducted among 524 patients with schizophrenia who are on treatment. Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) was used to screen the prevalence of tobacco dependence. Analysis of data was done using SPSS version 24. The prevalence of tobacco dependence among study participants was 22.3% (95% CI) (18.6, 26). Concerning the severity of tobacco dependence, 3.5%, 13.8%, and 5% of the respondents report moderate, high, and very high levels of tobacco dependence respectively. The proportions of tobacco dependence among male schizophrenic patients 88 (25.8%) were higher compared to their counterparts 27 (15.5%). After controlling the effects of cofounders in the final regression analysis, male gender (AOR 2.19, 95% CI = 1.25, 3.83), being on treatment for more than 5years (AOR 4.37, 95% CI = 2.11, 9.02), having a history of admission (AOR 4.01, 95% CI = 1.99, 8.11), and family history of mental illness (AOR 1.90, 95% CI = 1.04, 3.48) were shown to have a significant positive association with tobacco dependence. A study show a significant proportion of tobacco dependence among people living with schizophrenia. Factors like, being male gender, being on treatment for more than 5 years, having a history of admission, and family history of mental illness was found to have a significant positive association with tobacco dependence. Hence, there is a need for coordinated and comprehensive management clinically to manage tobacco dependence along with identified risk factors in patients with schizophrenia. Also the finding call for the clinicians, managers, ministry of health and other stakeholders on the substance use prevention strategies that target personal and environmental control.

Efficacy of providing free nicotine replacement chewing gum to induce quit attempts in tobacco users- A prospective observational study

To assess the effectiveness of providing free NRT to tobacco users in increasing quit attempts and to assess the perception of adherence, side effects and safety issues related to the usage in increasing quit attempt. A observational study was conducted to motivate tobacco users to have a quit attempt with a nicotine replacement sample among patients visiting out-patient department of a dental college. Baseline evaluation (demographic), Modified Fagerstrom test for Nicotine Dependence (MFTND) to assess nicotine addiction level, “breath analyzer” for the quantitative detection of levels of carbon monoxide were assessed. A free NRT sample was given. Telephonic follow up was done at an interval of 2 weeks, 1 month to assess the reduction in the mean MFTND score and to assess the perception of using NRT sample. All data was entered and analysed in SPSS for Windows version 22. Among the 40 subjects 80% were in the age group of 30-50 years and were males. The levels of carbon monoxide using breath analyser showed 80% of the subjects as heavy and chain smokers. Out of 40 subjects, 29 (72.5%) subjects were having high dependence calculated using MFTND which reduced to 2(5%) after using nicotine chewing gum. The mean and standard deviation of pre MFTND was 7.97±2.35 and for post MFTND it was 5.57±2.14 and the difference was highly significant (p&amp;#60; 0.005).: The results of this study confirm the efficacy of providing free nicotine replacement sample a novel strategy in motivating tobacco users to induce quit attempt.

Gray matter volumes of the insula and anterior cingulate cortex and their dysfunctional roles in cigarette smoking

The salience network, including the insula and anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), has been implicated in nicotine addiction. Structural imaging studies have reported diminished insula and ACC gray matter volumes (GMVs) in smokers as compared to nonsmokers. However, it remains unclear how insula and ACC GMVs may relate to years of smoking, addiction severity, or behavioral traits known to dispose individuals to smoking. Here, with a dataset curated from the Human Connectome Project and voxel-based morphometry, we replicated the findings of smaller GMVs of the insula and medial prefrontal cortex, including the dorsal ACC and supplementary motor area (dACC/SMA), in (70 heavy < 209 light < 209 never) smokers matched in age, sex, and average daily number of drinks. The GMVs of the insula or dACC/SMA were not significantly correlated with years of smoking or Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) scores. Heavy relative to never smokers demonstrated higher externalizing and internalizing scores, as evaluated by the NIH Emotion. In heavy smokers, the dACC/SMA but not insula GMV was positively correlated with both externalizing and internalizing scores. The findings together confirm volumetric changes in the salience network in heavy smokers and suggest potentially distinct dysfunctional roles of the insula and dACC/SMA in chronic smoking.

Do nicotine dependence influencing and non-influencing behaviors have an association with high nicotine dependence in smokers?

INTRODUCTIONNicotine dependence (ND) is a maladaptive pattern of tobacco smoking with withdrawal symptoms similar to other drug addictive disorders. It is very common in clinical practice that smokers always have different degrees of nicotine dependence with the same amount of tobacco consumption. Behaviors may influence daily cigarette consumption or smoking status. Hence it is critical to ascertain the association between concurrent behaviors and high nicotine dependence among smokers.METHODSA total of 343 patients who attended a clinic for smoking cessation were recruited, and the information on concurrent behaviors were recorded. Factors associated and not associated with nicotine dependence were recorded. Nicotine dependence was determined by Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND).RESULTSHigh ND patients (FTND >5) showed significant behaviors distribution compared with mild and moderate ND patients (FTND ≤5). There is no single behavior that was significantly different between high ND and mild and moderate ND smokers. However, the combined effects of nicotine dependence influencing behaviors of caffeine drinking and mental activities after dinner have an association with high ND (OR=1.939; 95% CI: 1.154–3.258, p=0.012). In addition, the combined effects of inadequate sleep time (<8 hours), caffeine drinking and mental activities after dinner significantly distinguished patients of high ND from those of low ND (OR=2.208; 95% CI: 1.032–4.737, p=0.042).CONCLUSIONSInteraction effects of mental activities after dinner and caffeine drinking have an association with high nicotine dependence. Sleep of less than 8 hours with behaviors of mental activities after dinner and caffeine drinking have the same effect.

Change in cigarette dependence among a cohort of smokers following COVID-19 diagnosis in Kashmir valley: An observational follow-up study

Background: COVID-19 diagnosis should serve as an impetus for smokers to discontinue its use. The study was conducted to estimate the change in cigarette dependence among newly diagnosed COVID-19 cases. Aims and Objectives: COVID-19 diagnosis should serve as an impetus for smokers to discontinue its use. The study was conducted to estimate change in cigarette dependence among newly diagnosed COVID-19 cases. Materials and Methods: Study was conducted between October and December 2020 and newly diagnosed male COVID-19 patients who were current smokers at diagnosis were recruited from two hospitals involved in testing and treatment of COVID-19. Baseline socioclinical information was recorded at diagnosis in addition to the estimation of cigarette dependence using Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and health status using Post-COVID-19 Functional Scale (PCFS). Follow-up was done at 2 weeks after recovery using both FTND and PCFS scales. Wilcoxon signed-rank test, paired t-test, and ANOVA were used for univariate analysis and multivariate regression was done. Results: A total of 171 subjects with mean age of 43.79 years were included in the study. FTND scores decreased significantly from the day of diagnosis to follow-up visit with 79% of subjects reporting a decrease. On univariate analysis, decrease in FTND had a significant association with presence of comorbidity, any symptoms, presence of respiratory symptoms, and if supplemental oxygen was administered. On multivariate analysis, symptomatic COVID-19 disease, higher age, PCFS at baseline, and PCFS at follow-up had a significant association with decreased PCFS values at follow-up. Conclusion: COVID-19 diagnosis was followed by significant decrease in FTND score, particularly for symptomatic and older subjects. Post-COVID follow-up visits should be used asan opportunity by health providers to ensure its sustainability and for achieving cessation.

Prevalence of Binge-Eating Disorder and Its Association with Nicotine Dependence Among Under-Graduate Students at a Saudi Public University.

PurposeThere is minimal information regarding the prevalence of binge-eating disorders in Saudi Arabia. This study aims to measure the prevalence of BED and its association with nicotine dependency (ND) among undergraduate university students at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU).MethodsA cross-sectional study recruited 878 participants, with an inclusion criteria that encompassed all IMSIU undergraduate students of either sex. The online-based self-report questionnaire was distributed through e-mail, which used the Binge-Eating Disorder Screener-7 (BEDS-7) to evaluate BED symptoms and the Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND) to measure the levels of ND. The e-FTND version was also adapted into the questionnaire to account for modern methods of nicotine usage.ResultsA total of 165 participants were BED positive, with a prevalence of 18.8%, 99 of whom were women, and 66 were men. Women were significantly more predicted for BED than men (p = 0.035). Men appeared to be mainly more expected to be nicotine dependent (p < 0.001). BED positive participants showed a higher probability of being nicotine dependent than BED negative participants in the multivariate logistic regression analysis (95% CI 1.3–3.2; p = 0.002).ConclusionBED prevalence was notably high compared to worldwide estimates, with a significant association to nicotine dependence by the multivariate analysis. In the future, more investigations regarding the prevalence of specific types of eating disorders, including BED, in Saudi Arabia need to be considered.

The Effect of long-term awareness on active and passive tobacco smokers

Tobacco addiction is a major public health problem. Numerous scientific studies have been conducted on the harms of tobacco products. However, the number of intervention studies investigating the effect of long-term awareness of the harm of tobacco products on the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and Respiratory Function Test (RFT) are limited. Our goal is to investigate the impact of long-term scientific awareness on these parameters. The study was designed an intervention study on active and passive smoking participants and their control groups. Control groups were not given any training on the harms of tobacco products. When comparing the first and last weeks in active smoker intervention group (ASIG), the difference between FTND, FEV1, CO, and COHb parameters was observed to be statistically significant (p&lt;0.05). The highest decrease in ASIG was in CO (↓60%) parameter and the highest increase was in the FEV1(↑%10) parameter. There was a significant difference both FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC (p&lt;0.05) and CO parameters of passive smokers intervention group (PSIG). The highest decrease in PSIG was in the CO parameter (↓%65.8) and the highest increase was in the FVC (↑%10) parameter. Awareness programs may reduce the severity of addiction in active smokers and may help protect passive smokers. As awareness increases, positive changes in some vital parameters may be possible. Up-to-date programs and policies are needed to make easy and sustainable awareness of both active and passive smoking.

No Correlation between Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence Scores to Lipopolysaccharide Marker in Thai Smokers

<span>Cigarette smoking is a combination of thousands of synthetic compounds that contribute straightforwardly or by implication to the addiction of cigarette smoking with inflammation, although a lot more may exist. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have unequivocally shown that variety in neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit α5 (CHRNA5) and in cytochrome P450 2A6 (CYP2A6) anticipated smoking substantialness, later period of smoking discontinuance.</span><span>The relationship between the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence and the Lipopolysaccharide marker in Thai smokers was proposed in this study.</span><span>We </span><span>investigated </span><span>fourteen Thai smokers in Mahasarakham province who scored 4 or higher on the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence. We provided them surveys about their personal information, administered the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence, and continued the Lipopolysaccharide marker blood tests. The value of R in Pearson connection was 0.4438. Although it found a positive correlation, the relationship between Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence and Lipopolysaccharide level was weak due to no correlation. In addition, the value of R2, the coefficient of determination, was 0.197 (<em>p</em>=0.1119). Further studies are needed to investigate more the relationship between smoking and inflammation.</span>

Smoking and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Is There An Association between These Cardiometabolic Risk Factors?-Gender Analysis.

Background and Objectives: Studies have tried to establish a relationship between Obstructive Sleep Apnea syndrome (OSA) and smoking but data still remain controversial. We aimed: 1. To evaluate the relationship between smoking and OSA; 2. To explore potential differences according to gender, and 3. To analyze the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) co-morbidities according to gender and smoking status. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 3791 (70.6% males) adult patients who visited a Sleep Clinic. All participants underwent nocturnal polysomnography. Daytime somnolence and insomnia were assessed by using the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS). Ever-smokers completed the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). Results: OSA was confirmed in 72.1% of participants with 62.2% suffering from moderate-to-severe disease. The number of cigarettes/day, Pack/Years, and FTND were significantly higher in patients with more severe OSA. The prevalence of current smokers was higher in those without OSA or with mild disease, whereas the prevalence of former smokers was higher in moderate and severe OSA. In univariate analysis, current smokers were found to be 1.2 times more likely to have OSA compared with never and former smokers combined and former smokers 1.49 times more likely compared with never smokers. In the multiple regression analysis, after adjusting for BMI, gender, age and number of alcoholic drinks per week, smoking was not found to be significantly associated with OSA. In gender stratified multivariate analyses, no significant associations were observed. CVD co-morbidities were more frequent in more severe OSA. Hypertension, coronary disease and diabetes were more prevalent in former smokers with AHI ≥ 15, compared with current smokers, especially in men. Conclusions: Even if an independent effect of smoking on OSA was not found, the number of cigarettes/day, Pack/Years, and FTND were higher in patients with more severe OSA with more prevalent CVD co-morbidities.

Menthol Smoking and Nicotine Dependence among Black/African American Women Smokers Living in Low-Resource, Rural Communities.

Black/African American women from low-resource, rural communities bear a disproportionate burden of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. This study examined associations between menthol smoking and socioeconomic deprivation with nicotine dependence and quitting behaviors among Black/African American women cigarette and/or little cigar/cigarillo smokers, aged 18–50 living in low-resource, rural communities. Baseline survey data from a randomized controlled behavioral/intervention trial (#NCT03476837) were analyzed (n = 146). Outcomes included time to first tobacco product (cigarette/little cigar/cigarillo) use within 5 min of waking, Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) score, and ever attempting to quit cigarettes. Socioeconomic deprivation measures included education, income, and receiving supplemental nutritional assistance (SNAP) program benefits. In adjusted regression analyses, menthol smoking was associated with both greater FTND scores and time to first tobacco product use within 5 min of waking, but not ever attempting to quit cigarettes. Regardless of menthol status, only 25.0% of smokers reported that they would quit smoking if menthol cigarettes were banned. The proportion of smokers who smoked their first tobacco product within 5 min of waking increased slightly with greater socioeconomic deprivation. Additional research and targeted efforts are needed to reduce nicotine dependence among Black/African American women smokers living in rural, low-resource communities where access to cessation services is limited.

Betel Quid Dependence Effects on Working Memory and Remote Memory in Chewers with Concurrent Use of Cigarette and Alcohol

Rationale: Betel quid (BQ) is regarded as a human carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Although there are many BQ chewers across Asian-Pacific areas, studies addressing the effects of BQ chewing on memory remain rare. Objective The current study asked whether BQ dependence level could affect working memory (WM) and remote memory for the chewers with concurrent use of cigarettes and alcohol, a common phenomenon in Taiwan. Methods The standardized neuropsychological tests (Wechsler Memory Scale III (WMS-III) and Remote Memory Test) were adopted to address the BQ chewers’ verbal WM, spatial WM and remote memory. The Spatial Span Test and the Digit Span Test from WMS-III and the Remote Memory Test were adopted. The Betel Nut Dependency Scale (BNDS), the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) were adopted to measure the dependence levels. Results The BQ dependence level and Last BQ did not affect spatial WM, verbal WM, and remote memory. Last Cigarette is critical in affecting WM; namely, longer interval led to worse performance. Finally, higher alcohol dependence level could lead to better remote memory. Conclusions To our knowledge, there are no BQ studies addressing the effects of concurrent use of cigarettes and alcohol on memory. The current results suggest that cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking, rather than BQ chewing, are critical for memory performance.

Smoking Prevalence among Healthcare Workers and the Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic Process on the Frequency of Smoking in Turkey

This cross-sectional study aims to evaluate the prevalence of smoking among healthcare workers and to investigate the anxiety level of healthcare professionals who have knowledge of COVID-19-related mortality and morbidity and are burdened by the anxiety and stress caused by the pandemic, and its effect on their smoking habits. An online questionnaire was used to facilitate the participation of busy healthcare workers. The survey was shared on all health platforms and various social network groups (Facebook, WhatsApp, etc.) for doctors (specialists, physicians, residents, dentists), nurses, and all other healthcare workers This questionnaire consisted of two tests, namely the Beck Anxiety Scale (BAS) and the Fagerstrom Nicotine Dependence Test (FNDT), and sociodemographic questions. A total of 806 healthcare workers, of whom 74.2% were physicians, 8.8% were midwives/nurses, and 15.1% were assistant health workers, participated in the study. Among all the participants, 501 (62.1%) were nonsmokers, 305 (37.9%) were smokers, and 8(1%) resumed smoking during the pandemic. In terms of the smoking habits of the participants during the pandemic period, 34% of the women who smoked had increased their amount of smoking. With respect to the smoking cessation rates of the participants, the physicians had quit or reduced smoking more than the other participants. The rate of smoking cessation in our study was 2.23%. Among those who quit, 88.8% were doctors, and the rate of quitting among them was 7.8%.

Studying the relationship between tobacco use and depression between Egyptian patients

Abstract Background Although much attention has been drawn to trends in smoking and smoking related diseases in the general population, increasing evidence suggests that patients with mental illness are at a high risk for tobacco use and nicotine addiction. Cigarette smokers usually state the antidepressant and anxiolytic effects of smoking, but evidence reports that cigarette smoking may promote negative effect, so that the causal direction of this association still mysterious. It was reported that there is a cause effect relationship between cigarette smoking and depression as multiple studies mentioned that tobacco use increases the risk of symptoms of depression. The relationship between smoking and depression was attributed to genetic predisposition, low level of dopamine, low self-esteem, and coping styles. Aim of the Work The current study aimed to study the pattern of tobacco use among patients with depression, to study the degree of motivation to quit in patients with depression, and to assess severity of suicidal behavior among patients with depression using tobacco. Patients and Methods This is a case control study conducted in patients with the diagnosis of depression attending the outpatient clinic or inpatient of the institute of psychiatry Ain Shams University Hospitals during the academic year 2018-2019. The sample size was consisted of 100 patients and the patients were selected randomly. The relationship between tobacco use and depression between Egyptian patients was assessed using Socioeconomic status scale (SES), Hamilton Rating scale for Depression (HRSD), FagerströmTest for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), Lebanon Waterpipe Dependence Scale-11 (LWDS-11), Reason for quitting scale (RFQ), Columbia–Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS), and ICD-10 symptom checklist for mental disorders. Results The present study showed a statistical significant association between the following scales; Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS), Difference score of Reason for quitting scale (RFQ) and Hamilton depression rating scale (HDRS), and Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and Columbia–Suicide Severity Rating Scale (CSSRS). Conclusion Compared to non-depressive persons, the results showed that depressive groups were less desired for quitting smoking.