Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2010 May;12(5):500-7.
doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntq039. Epub 2010 Mar 24.

Validity of the 12-item French version of the Tobacco Craving Questionnaire in treatment-seeking smokers

Ivan Berlin  1 , Edward G Singleton, Stephen J Heishman
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Validity of the 12-item French version of the Tobacco Craving Questionnaire in treatment-seeking smokers

Ivan Berlin et al. Nicotine Tob Res. 2010 May.

Abstract

Introduction: The French version of the Tobacco Craving Questionnaire (FTCQ) is a valid and reliable 47-item self-report instrument that assesses tobacco craving in four factors: emotionality, expectancy, compulsivity, and purposefulness. For use in research and clinical settings, we constructed a 12-item version of the FTCQ (FTCQ-12).

Method: The FTCQ-12 was administered to treatment-seeking French smokers (n = 310) enrolled in the Adjustment of DOses of NIcotine in Smoking Cessation (ADONIS) trial. We conducted confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and examined congruence in factor loadings between the FTCQ and FTCQ-12 to determine the validity and reliability of the FTCQ-12. Measures of tobacco craving, withdrawal, smoking patterns, and smoking history were included to explore the concurrent validity of the FTCQ-12. We used craving scores to distinguish participants who were highly dependent on nicotine from those less dependent on nicotine.

Results: CFA indicated excellent fit for a four-factor model, with congruence coefficients indicating moderate similarity in factor patterns and loadings between the FTCQ and FTCQ-12. Individual factors of the FTCQ-12 correlated positively with smoking history and withdrawal variables. Participants who were highly dependent on nicotine were nearly six times more likely to score >5 on the General Craving Score (maximum: 7) than those less dependent on nicotine.

Discussion: Findings suggest that the FTCQ-12 measures the same four factors as the FTCQ and TCQ, and these four constructs have unique properties. The FTCQ-12 yields valid and reliable indices of tobacco craving and has potential clinical utility for rapid assessment of tobacco craving in smokers seeking treatment.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Akobeng AK. Understanding diagnostic tests 2: Likelihood ratios, pre- and post-test probabilities and their use in clinical practice. Acta Paediatrica. 2007;96:487–491. - PubMed
    1. American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. 2000. (4th ed., text revision). Washington, DC: Author.
    1. Berlin I, Singleton EG. Does nicotine dependence or urge to smoke predict negative health symptoms in smokers? Preventive Medicine. 2008;47:447–451. - PubMed
    1. Berlin I, Singleton EG, Pedarriosse AM, Lancrenon S, Rames A, Aubin HJ, et al. The modified reasons for smoking scale. Factorial structure, gender effects and relationship with nicotine dependence and smoking cessation in French smokers. Addiction. 2003;98:1575–1583. - PubMed
    1. Berlin I, Vorspan F, Singleton EG, Warot D, Notides C, Heishman SJ. Reliability and validity of the French version of the Tobacco Craving Questionnaire. European Addiction Research. 2005;11:62–68. - PubMed

Publication types