Is there an association between the degree of nicotine dependence and the motivation to stop smoking?

Abstract

Objective To evaluate the association between degrees of nicotine dependence measured by the Fagerström test (FTCD) and different tests of motivation to stop smoking.

Material and methods Observational study, multicenter conducted in smoking clinics in daily clinical practice. Demographics, smoking status, FTCD scores, and motivation test results were collected: Richmond test (TR), Henri Mondor Paris motivation test (HMP), Khimji–Watts test (KW), and the visual analog scale of motivation to stop smoking. The statistical analysis was descriptive, and correlation and analysis tests and regression models were used.

Results A total of 314 subjects were included [162 women (51.59%)]. Males smoked an average of 3.3 cigarettes/day more than women (95% CI: 0.9–5.6 cigarettes/day, P=0.006) and their cumulative consumption was 7.8 pack-years higher than in women (95% CI: 2.1–13.5 pack-years). We found no association between FTCD and the motivation tests to stop smoking used in this study.

Conclusions We found no association between the degree of dependence and the motivation to quit smoking measured by the aforementioned instruments.