The Short Form Vaping Consequences Questionnaire: Psychometric Properties of a Measure of Vaping Expectancies For Use With Adult E-cigarette Users

Introduction: E-cigarettes are popular in the United States, but psychometrically sound measures of vaping beliefs and behaviors are lacking. METHODS: We evaluated the psychometrics of the Short-Form Vaping Consequences Questionnaire (S-VCQ), a modified version of the Short-Form Smoking Consequences Questionnaire that assesses expectancies for negative consequences, positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement, and appetite/weight control associated with vaping. Adult, past-month e-cigarette users completed an anonymous survey in Fall 2015 (N = 522, 50.4% female; 71.5% White; 34.10 [SD = 9.66] years). Psychometric analyses included confirmatory factor analysis, internal consistency, measurement invariance, t-tests, correlations, and test-criterion relationships with vaping outcomes. Results: The S-VCQ evidenced a four-factor latent structure (CFI = .95, RMSEA = .05, SRMR = .06), and subscales evidenced internal consistency (mean α = .89). S-VCQ scores were scalar invariant for sex and smoking status; women reported stronger appetite/weight control than men and dual cigarette/e-cigarette users (n = 309) reported stronger negative vaping consequences and negative reinforcement than non-smokers. Among dual users, vaping and smoking expectancies also were scalar invariant; dual users reported stronger positive reinforcement associated with vaping than smoking but stronger negative consequences, negative reinforcement, and appetite/weight control associated with smoking than vaping. Correlations indicated that vaping and smoking expectancies were related, yet distinct constructs. Univariate general linear models indicated that vaping frequency and dependence were associated with positive reinforcement (η2pηp2 = .02/.02), negative reinforcement (η2pηp2 = .02/.08), and appetite/weight control (η2pηp2 =.02/.02) from vaping. Conclusions: The S-VCQ evidences solid psychometrics as a measure of adult e-cigarette users’ vaping expectancies. Implications: The current study provides evidence for the reliability and validity of the Short Form Vaping Consequences Questionnaire, the first measure of vaping expectancies that has been validated for use with adult e-cigarette users. Results indicated that the S-VCQ comprises four subscales that evidenced internal consistency, scalar measurement invariance for important groups of interest, and test-criterion relationships with vaping outcomes. Researchers are encouraged to consider using this measure for assessing vaping expectancies in adult e-cigarette users

Positive Drinking Consequences Are Associated With Alcohol Use and Alcohol-Related Problems Among Veterans Seeking Treatment for Alcohol Use Disorder

Background: Military service is associated with increased rates of heavy drinking. Widely used clinical practices (e.g., motivational interviewing) indicate that addressing both negative and positive drinking consequences is essential to effective treatment. However, research on effectively assessing positive drinking consequences in a clinical population is absent. Aims: The current study (1) evaluated the utility of the Positive Drinking Consequences Questionnaire (PDCQ), a measure previously validated in an undergraduate sample, for use with treatment-seeking veterans, and (2) evaluated relationships between positive drinking consequences and alcohol expectancies, pre-treatment alcohol use, and alcohol-related problems. Method: Ninety-seven veterans seeking treatment for alcohol problems completed an anonymous survey (97.9% male; mean age = 49.76[11.40], 67.0% Caucasian). Results: The PDCQ evidenced a single factor latent structure and internal consistency (Cronbach\u27s alpha = .90). Positive drinking consequences and expectancies were related yet distinct constructs. After controlling for demographic factors, experiencing more positive drinking consequences at program intake was associated with heavier pretreatment drinking ((2)(p) = .10, p = .003) and alcohol-related problems ((2)(p) = .18, p \u3c .001). Further, PDCQ scores evidenced incremental validity in accounting for pretreatment alcohol use ((2)(p) = .12, p = .002) and alcohol-related problems ((2)(p) = .11, p = .003) when expectancies also were included in the model. Conclusion: Positive drinking consequences are assessed reliably by the PDCQ in a clinical sample and appear to play an important role in the drinking behavior of veterans seeking alcohol treatment

Electronic cigarette use among individuals with a self-reported eating disorder diagnosis

Objective: The primary study aim was to examine whether rates of using e‐cigarettes (“vaping”) to lose weight are elevated among American adults who self‐report having an eating disorder (ED). Method: Adult vapers who reported either currently having an ED (n = 178; 72.5% women, 83.7% White, mean age 33.26 [SD = 8.35] years) or no ED history (n = 433; 54.7% women, 83.4% White, 35.98 [SD = 11.71] years) completed an anonymous survey. Results: Relative to participants reporting no ED history, participants who reported currently having an ED were more likely to report vaping to lose/control weight, because it can be concealed from others, and due to the availability of sweet flavors. Participants reporting a current ED also were more likely to vape daily, to use higher nicotine concentrations, and to vape to relieve negative affect than were individuals without EDs. Discussion: Individuals who self‐reported currently having an ED endorsed vaping motives that are consistent with eating pathology (e.g., substance‐induced weight loss, hiding compensatory behaviors from others). They also were more likely to vape daily and to use higher nicotine concentrations, raising health concerns. The findings suggest that treatment providers should screen for e‐cigarette use in clients seeking ED treatment

Vaping to lose weight: Predictors of adult e-cigarette use for weight loss or control

Introduction: Some traditional cigarette smokers are motivated to smoke to lose weight or control their weight. The current study evaluated whether a subset of adult e-cigarette users reported vaping to lose or control their weight and examined potential predictors of vaping for weight management. Methods: Adult e-cigarette users (n = 459) who reported wanting to lose weight or maintain their weight completed an anonymous online survey. Participants reported on demographics, vaping frequency, e-cigarette nicotine content, cigarette smoking status, preferred e-cigarette/e-liquid flavors, current weight status (i.e., overweight, underweight), use of dieting strategies associated with anorexia and bulimia, lifetime history of binge eating, self-discipline, and impulse control. Binary logistic regression was used to examine whether vaping for weight loss/control was associated with the aforementioned variables. Results: Participants who reported vaping for weight loss/control (13.5%) were more likely to vape frequently (adjOR = 1.15; 95% CI [1.00, 1.31]); be overweight (adjOR = 2.80; [1.33, 5.90]); restrict calories (adjOR = 2.23; [1.13, 4.42]); have poor impulse cantrol (adjOR = 0.59; [0.41, 0.86]); and prefer coffee-(adjOR = 2.92; [1.47, 5.80]) or vanilla-flavored e-liquid (adjOR = 7.44; [1.56, 36.08]). Conclusions: A subset of adult e-cigarette users reported vaping for weight loss/control, raising concerns about expanded, scientifically unsubstantiated uses of e-cigarettes. Identifying where individuals obtain information about vaping for weight loss (e.g., e-cigarette ads, Internet) and whether weight-related motives promote e-cigarette initiation among e-cigarette naïve individuals is important to informing regulatory efforts. Further research also is needed to better understand the link between e-liquid flavors and weight loss motivations

Predictors of quickly progressing from initiating alcohol use to engaging in binge drinking among adolescents

Background: A short delay to first intoxication confers alcohol-related risk, but risk factors for a short delay have yet to be examined. Methods: 230 high school students (55.7% male; age 16.52 [1.19] years; 70.9% White) were surveyed about alcohol use. We examined whether sex, race, parental history of alcohol problems, age of onset, type of alcohol consumed, drinking company, and subjective response to alcohol were associated with 1) delay to first binge episode and 2) binge drinking status (i.e., never bingers, individuals who binge drank on their first drinking occasion, and individuals who binge drank at a later date). Finally, we examined whether first-occasion bingers reported heavier drinking and alcohol-related problems than later-occasion and never bingers. Results: Overall, a shorter delay was associated with being male an older age of onset, and, during one's first drinking experience, consuming liquor, drinking with friends or alone, and experiencing high arousal negative alcohol effects. First-occasion bingers were more likely to be male, consume liquor, and experience stronger high arousal positive and negative alcohol effects than never bingers and to have a later age of onset, experience stronger high arousal negative, and weaker low arousal negative alcohol effects than later-occasion bingers. First-occasion bingers also reported heavier current drinking and more alcohol-related problems. Conclusions: Characteristics of underage drinkers that confer risk for a shorter delay and first-occasion binging may provide fruitful targets for intervention, as efforts to delay binge drinking may mitigate alcohol-related risk associated with underage alcohol use. Keywords: Age of onset, Intoxication, Binge drinking, Delay to intoxication, Adolescent, Adolescenc

Predictors of adult e-cigarette users vaporizing cannabis using e-cigarettes and vape-pens

Background: Given limited extant research, we assessed the use of portable, battery-powered cannabis vaporizers by adult e-cigarette users. Methods: 522 adult vapers completed an online survey. Demographics; lifetime and past-month cannabis vaporization via e-cigarettes/vape-pens; preferences for hash oil, D-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) wax, or dried buds; and cannabis vaporization beliefs and motives were examined. Demographics, age of e-cigarette onset, e-cigarette use frequency, state-level legal status of cannabis, cannabis vaping beliefs/motives, and impulsivity were examined as predictors of lifetime cannabis vaporization, past-month cannabis vaporization, and cannabis vaping frequency. Results: E-cigarette users reported lifetime (17.8%) and past-month (11.5%) cannabis vaporization. Vapers preferred hash oil (LT/PM 45.5/47.5%), THC wax (15.2/32.2%), and dried buds (39.4/35.6%). Motivations to vape cannabis included: it tastes better (39.3/37.9%), is healthier (42.9/39.7%), is easier to conceal/hide (35.7/46.6%), does not smell as strong (42.9/39.7%), is more convenient (42.9/27.6%), and produces a stronger/better high (58.1/40.7%) than smoking cannabis. Lifetime and past-month cannabis vaporization, respectively, were associated with initiating e-cigarette use at an earlier age (odds ratio (OR) = 0.09/0.88), being impulsive (OR = 2.25/3.23), having poor self-control (OR = 2.23/1.85), and vaporizing cannabis because it is easier to conceal/hide (OR = 2.45/2.48) or is more convenient than smoking cannabis (OR = 5.02/2.83). Frequency of vaping cannabis was associated with heavier e-cigarette use (ηp2 = 0.10) and impulsivity (ηp2 = 0.09). Conclusions: Adult e-cigarette users are vaporizing cannabis using e-cigarettes/vape-pens. Efforts to curb cannabis vaporization may benefit from targeting impulsivity in users and regulating device features that facilitate or promote convenient, inconspicuous cannabis use

Differences in Subjective Response to Alcohol by Gender, Family History, Heavy Episodic Drinking, and Cigarette Use: Refining and Broadening the Scope of Measurement

Objective: Subjective response to alcohol (SR) has been shown to differ by gender, family history of alcoholism, drinking status, and cigarette smoking status. However, the requisite statistical basis for making mean-level comparisons (scalar measurement invariance; MI) has not been established for any SR measure, making it impossible to determine whether observed differences reflect true differences or measurement bias. Secondary data analyses were conducted to evaluate (a) MI of the Subjective Effects of Alcohol Scale (SEAS) by gender, family history, heavy drinking status, and cigarette smoking status using multigroup confirmatory factor analysis; and (b) the impact of these group-level variables on SR using multivariate general linear modeling. A central strength, the SEAS assesses novel high arousal negative (HIGH-; e.g., aggressive) and low arousal positive effects (LOW+; e.g., relaxed) in addition to commonly assessed high arousal positive [HIGH+; e.g., sociable] and low arousal negative effects [LOW; e.g., woozy]). Method: A total of 215 young adults reported on SR during a placebo-controlled alcohol administration study in a simulated bar setting (target blood alcohol concentration = .08%). Results: Scalar MI was achieved for each group. After consuming alcohol, family history positive individuals reported stronger HIGH- effects and female smokers reported weaker LOW+ effects than their counterparts. Heavy episodic drinkers and family history positive females reported weaker LOW- effects than their counterparts. Conclusions: The SEAS permits meaningful SR comparisons within several important groups. SR differences largely were observed on the novel SEAS subscales, highlighting the importance of assessing a full range of SR

Psychometric validation of measures of alcohol expectancies, retrospective subjective response, and positive drinking consequences for use with adolescents

The Anticipated Effects of Alcohol Scale (AEAS), the Subjective Effects of Alcohol Scale, and the Positive Drinking Consequences Questionnaire (PDCQ) are psychometrically sound measures of alcohol expectancies (expectancies), subjective response to alcohol, and positive drinking consequences, respectively, for use with adults. Prior research using these measures suggests that expectancies, subjective response, and positive drinking consequences are related yet distinct determinants of drinking. The current study presents psychometric evaluations of these measures for use with adolescents including confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) of the previously identified latent structures, internal consistency, and test-criterion relationships. Legally, alcohol cannot be administered to adolescents, so we assessed retrospective subjective response (during the first drinking episode ever [SEAS First] and the most recent drinking episode [SEAS Recent]). The sample comprised 248 Connecticut high school students (53.6% male; mean age 16.50 [1.19] years; 71.4% White) who completed an anonymous survey. CFA confirmed the latent factor structures for each measure. The AEAS, SEAS First, SEAS Recent and the PDCQ were internally consistent (mean α AEAS = 0.83; SEAS First = 0.88; SEAS Recent = 0.89, PDCQ = 0.87). AEAS subscales evidenced moderate overlap with corresponding SEAS First subscales (mean = 0.36) and SEAS Recent subscales (mean = 0.46) and modest overlap with the PDCQ (mean = 0.17). Expectancies, subjective response, and positive drinking consequences also accounted for significant variance in monthly drinking, lifetime maximum number of drinks consumed, and alcohol-related problems. In sum, the AEAS, the retrospective SEAS, and the PDCQ are psychometrically sound measures for use with adolescents