Protocol - Self-reported Craving - Specific - Tobacco
- Alcohol - 30-Day Quantity and Frequency
- Alcohol - Lifetime Use Disorder
- Patterns of Substance Use - Adolescents
- Patterns of Substance Use - Adults - Binge-Drinking
- Screening and Severity of Substance Use Problems - Adolescents
- Screening and Severity of Substance Use Problems - Adults - Alcohol - Lifetime
- Screening and Severity of Substance Use Problems - Adults - Alcohol - Past 12 Months
- Screening and Severity of Substance Use Problems - Adults - Drugs
- Substances - 30-Day Frequency
- Substances - Lifetime Abuse and Dependence
- Tobacco - 30-Day Quantity and Frequency - Adolescent
- Tobacco - 30-Day Quantity and Frequency - Adult
Description
The Brief Questionnaire of Smoking Urges (QSU-Brief) consists of 10 statements about the respondent’s feelings and thoughts about his or her desire to smoke cigarettes as he or she is completing the questionnaire (i.e., right now).
Specific Instructions
The Substance Abuse and Addiction Working Group acknowledges that the following questions may gather sensitive information relating to the use of substances and/or illegal conduct. If the information is released, it might be damaging to an individual’s employability, lead to social stigmatization, or lead to other consequences.
Most researchers assure confidentiality as part of their informed consent process, as required by their institutional review boards. Further assurance of confidentiality may be obtained by applying to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for a Certificate of Confidentiality, which helps researchers protect the privacy of human research participants. The procedures for the Certificate of Confidentiality can be found at the Grants Policy website of NIH: http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/policy/coc/index.htm.
Availability
Protocol
Indicate how much you agree or disagree with each of the following statements by placing a single checkmark (like this: [✔]) by a number ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The closer you place your checkmark to one end or the other indicates the strength of your disagreement or agreement. Please complete every item. We are interested in how you are thinking or feeling right now as you are filling out this questionnaire.
1. I have a desire for a cigarette right now.
1 [ ] STRONGLY DISAGREE | 2 [ ] | 3 [ ] | 4 [ ] | 5 [ ] | 6 [ ] | 7 [ ] STRONGLY AGREE |
2. Nothing would be better than smoking a cigarette right now.
1 [ ] STRONGLY DISAGREE | 2 [ ] | 3 [ ] | 4 [ ] | 5 [ ] | 6 [ ] | 7 [ ] STRONGLY AGREE |
3. If it were possible, I probably would smoke right now.
1 [ ] STRONGLY DISAGREE | 2 [ ] | 3 [ ] | 4 [ ] | 5 [ ] | 6 [ ] | 7 [ ] STRONGLY AGREE |
4. I could control things better right now if I could smoke.
1 [ ] STRONGLY DISAGREE | 2 [ ] | 3 [ ] | 4 [ ] | 5 [ ] | 6 [ ] | 7 [ ] STRONGLY AGREE |
5. All I want right now is a cigarette.
1 [ ] STRONGLY DISAGREE | 2 [ ] | 3 [ ] | 4 [ ] | 5 [ ] | 6 [ ] | 7 [ ] STRONGLY AGREE |
6. I have an urge for a cigarette.
1 [ ] STRONGLY DISAGREE | 2 [ ] | 3 [ ] | 4 [ ] | 5 [ ] | 6 [ ] | 7 [ ] STRONGLY AGREE |
7. A cigarette would taste good now.
1 [ ] STRONGLY DISAGREE | 2 [ ] | 3 [ ] | 4 [ ] | 5 [ ] | 6 [ ] | 7 [ ] STRONGLY AGREE |
8. I would do almost anything for a cigarette now.
1 [ ] STRONGLY DISAGREE | 2 [ ] | 3 [ ] | 4 [ ] | 5 [ ] | 6 [ ] | 7 [ ] STRONGLY AGREE |
9. Smoking would make me less depressed.
1 [ ] STRONGLY DISAGREE | 2 [ ] | 3 [ ] | 4 [ ] | 5 [ ] | 6 [ ] | 7 [ ] STRONGLY AGREE |
10. I am going to smoke as soon as possible.
1 [ ] STRONGLY DISAGREE | 2 [ ] | 3 [ ] | 4 [ ] | 5 [ ] | 6 [ ] | 7 [ ] STRONGLY AGREE |
Scoring Procedure and Interpretation
Several scoring schemes have been proposed, and in all of these, the items are averaged or summed to yield factor scores. The initial scoring scheme proposed by Cox et al. (2001) and later partially confirmed by Toll et al. (2006) had two factors:
- Factor 1 included items 1, 3, 6, 7, and 10
- Factor 2 included items 2, 4, 5, 8, and 9
The score for each factor is calculated by summing the item scores; the total score is calculated by summing all 10 items.
Toll et al. (2006) found that the most robust items from the Cox et al. (2001) analysis revealed the best fit in a confirmatory factor analysis, again with two factors: Factor 1 included items 1 and 6, and Factor 2 included items 4, 8, and 9. These items and factor titles are:
Factor 1 - Intention/Desire to Smoke
- I have a desire for a cigarette right now.
- I have an urge for a cigarette.
Factor 2 - Relief of Negative Affect & Urgent Desire to Smoke
- I could control things better right now if I could smoke.
- I would do almost anything for a cigarette right now.
- Smoking would make me less depressed.
The scoring scheme reflects factors identified in the original publications. Factor structure may differ in individual studies.
Personnel and Training Required
None
Equipment Needs
None
Requirements
| Requirement Category | Required |
|---|---|
| Major equipment | No |
| Specialized training | No |
| Specialized requirements for biospecimen collection | No |
| Average time of greater than 15 minutes in an unaffected individual | No |
Mode of Administration
Self-administered questionnaire
Lifestage
Adult, Senior
Participants
Adults aged 18 years and older
Selection Rationale
The Brief Questionnaire of Smoking Urges (QSU-Brief) has produced consistent findings across many studies. The QSU-Brief takes less than 2 minutes to administer. The psychometric properties were acceptable and consistent across samples and settings.
Language
English
Standards
| Standard | Name | ID | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Human Phenotype Ontology | Addictive behavior | HP:0030858 | HPO |
| caDSR Form | PhenX PX520306 - Selfreported Craving Specific Tobacco | 6218452 | caDSR Form |
Derived Variables
None
Process and Review
The Expert Review Panel #3 (ERP 3) reviewed the measures in Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Substances, and Substance Abuse and Addiction domains.
Guidance from ERP 3 includes:
• No significant changes to measure
Back-compatible: NA no changes to Data Dictionary
Protocol Name from Source
Brief Questionnaire of Smoking Urges (QSU-Brief)
Source
Questionnaire
Cox, L. S., Tiffany, S. T., & Christen, A. G. (2001). Evaluation of the Brief Questionnaire of Smoking Urges (QSU-Brief) in laboratory and clinical settings. Nicotine and Tobacco Research 3(1), 7-16.
Tiffany, S. T., & Drobes, D. J. (1991). The development and initial validation of a questionnaire on smoking urges. British Journal of Addiction, 86(11), 1467-1476.
Questionnaire Instructions (adapted from the Cocaine Craving Questionnaire)
Sussner, B. D., Smelson, D. A., Rodrigues, S., Kline, A., Losonczy, M., & Ziedonis, D. (2006). The validity and reliability of a brief measure of cocaine craving. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 83(3), 233-237.
General References
Burton, S. M., & Tiffany, S. T. (1997). The effect of alcohol consumption on craving to smoke. Addiction, 92(1), 15-26.
Cepeda-Benito, A., & Tiffany, S. T. (1996). The use of a dual-task procedure for the assessment of cognitive effort associated with cigarette craving. Psychopharmacology, 127(2), 155-163.
Drobes, D. J., Meier, E. A., & Tiffany, S. T. (1994). Assessment of the effects of urges and negative affect on smokers’ coping skills. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 32(1), 165-174.
Drobes, D. J., & Tiffany, S. T. (1997). Induction of smoking urges through imaginal and in vivo procedures: Physiological and self-report manifestations. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 106(1), 15-25.
Elash, C. A., Tiffany, S. T., & Vrana, S. R. (1995). Manipulation of smoking urges and affect through a brief-imagery procedure: Self-report, psychophysiological, and startle probe responses. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 3(2), 156-162.
Maude-Griffin, P., & Tiffany, S. T. (1996). Production of smoking urges through imagery: The impact of affect and smoking abstinence. Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology, 4(2), 198-208.
Toll, B. A., Katulak, N. A., & McKee, S. A. (2006). Investigating the factor structure of the Questionnaire on Smoking Urges-Brief (QSU-Brief). Addictive Behaviors, 31(7), 1231-1239.
Protocol ID
520306
Variables
Export Variables| Variable Name | Variable ID | Variable Description | dbGaP Mapping | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PX520306_All_I_Want_Is_Cigarette | ||||
| PX520306050000 | All I want right now is a cigarette. | N/A | ||
| PX520306_A_Cigarette_Would_Taste_Good | ||||
| PX520306070000 | A cigarette would taste good now. | N/A | ||
| PX520306_Control_Things_Better_Smoke | ||||
| PX520306040000 | I could control things better right now if I more | N/A | ||
| PX520306_Desire_For_A_Cigarette | ||||
| PX520306010000 | I have a desire for a cigarette right now. | N/A | ||
| PX520306_Do_Almost_Anything_For_Cigarette | ||||
| PX520306080000 | I would do almost anything for a cigarette now. | N/A | ||
| PX520306_Nothing_Better_Than_Smoking | ||||
| PX520306020000 | Nothing would be better than smoking a more | N/A | ||
| PX520306_Probably_Would_Smoke_Now | ||||
| PX520306030000 | If it were possible, I probably would smoke more | N/A | ||
| PX520306_Smoke_As_Soon_As_Possible | ||||
| PX520306100000 | I am going to smoke as soon as possible. | N/A | ||
| PX520306_Smoking_Make_Me_Less_Depressed | ||||
| PX520306090000 | Smoking would make me less depressed. | N/A | ||
| PX520306_Urge_For_A_Cigarette | ||||
| PX520306060000 | I have an urge for a cigarette. | N/A | ||
Measure Name
Self-reported Craving
Release Date
February 24, 2012
Definition
Instruments used separately to assess the severity of craving for tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drugs, via self-report.
Purpose
The purpose of this measure is to assess the severity of craving for tobacco, alcohol, or illegal drugs by asking the respondent questions about his or her desires, urges, or thoughts about such cravings. The Working Group recommends that investigators incorporate the question in the primary protocol as a core item to obtain general information on a variety of substances. The secondary protocols can then be used to obtain detailed information on a specific substance.
Keywords
addiction, alcohol, Alcohol Urge Questionnaire, AUQ, Brief Questionnaire of Smoking Urges, QSU-Brief, cigarette, Cocaine Craving Questionnaire-Brief, CCQ-Brief, Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism, COGA, compulsion, desire, Marijuana Craving Questionnaire, MCQ, National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions, NESARC, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, NIAAA, Obsessive-Compulsive Drug Use Scale, OCDUS Heroin Version, pot, Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics of Alcoholism, SSAGA, substance abuse and addiction, SAA, urge, Substance-specific Intermediate Phenotypes
Measure Protocols
| Protocol ID | Protocol Name |
|---|---|
| 520301 | Self-reported Craving - Specific - Alcohol |
| 520302 | Self-reported Craving - Specific - Cocaine |
| 520303 | Self-reported Craving - Specific - Heroin |
| 520304 | Self-reported Craving - Specific - Marijuana |
| 520306 | Self-reported Craving - Specific - Tobacco |
| 520307 | Self-reported Craving - General |
Publications
Schoonover, J., et al. (2024) Virtual Music Therapy for Substance Use Disorders in a Federally Qualified Health Center Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine. 2024 January; 36(6): 1043-1049. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2022.220316R3
Xing, C., et al. (2023) Reducing tobacco-associated lung cancer risk: a study protocol for a randomized clinical trial of AB-free kava. Trials. 2023 January; 24(1): 1-14. doi: 10.1186/s13063-023-07081-x