The Role of Emotion Differentiation in the Association Between Momentary Affect and Tobacco/Nicotine Craving in Young Adults

• Published in: Nicotine & tobacco research 2023-06, Vol.25 (7), p.1261-1268
• Main Authors: Walters, Kyle J, Gray, Kevin M, Gex, Kathryn S, McClure, Erin A
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Craving; Emotions; Female; Humans; Male; Nicotine; Original Investigations; Smoking Cessation - methods; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome - psychology; Tobacco Products; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1469-994X; 1462-2203; 1469-994X
• DOI: 10.1093/ntr/ntad001

Abstract Introduction Tobacco/nicotine use is commonly initiated during adolescence or young adulthood, which increases the likelihood of continued use into adulthood and related adverse health outcomes. Despite interest in cessation, achieving and maintaining abstinence is difficult among this population. Cravings are often a barrier to abstinence, which have been associated with intensity of affect at the moment level. Emotion differentiation involves the ability to distinguish between discrete emotion states, and previous work suggests it may moderate the effect of momentary affect on craving, which has never been explored among young adults who are smoking or vaping nicotine. Aims and Methods In a sample of young adults (N = 37, observations = 2020, ages 18–25, 51% female, and 78% white) interested in quitting smoking or vaping, we used real-time, naturalistic data capture via mobile phones to examine the interaction of momentary affect and trait emotion differentiation on nicotine craving. Participants were prompted with four surveys per day for 35 days and asked to make a 48-h quit attempt on day 7. Results Multilevel models showed moments of higher-than-average momentary negative affect (NA; b = 0.39, p