The nicotine withdrawal assessment for youth: Initial instrument validation and psychometric properties

Within the field of adolescent tobacco use, there does not exist a consistently used and validated measure of adolescent nicotine withdrawal symptoms. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Nicotine Withdrawal Assessment for Youth (N-WAY), a new measure of adolescent nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Smokers and nonsmokers, ranging from 13 to 19. years old, were administered the N-WAY and other smoking information questionnaires in order to examine its reliability and validity. The N-WAY demonstrated satisfactory test-retest reliability (r= 0.74-88) and internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.90-0.92). Its total symptom score accurately discriminated current smokers from nonsmokers. The N-WAY was demonstrated to measure a construct different than nicotine dependence symptoms while correlates of nicotine withdrawal symptoms, such as number of daily cigarettes smoked and prior quit attempts, accurately predicted total N-WAY symptom and impact scores. Preliminary results indicate the N-WAY is a reliable and valid assessment of adolescent nicotine withdrawal symptoms among current smokers.