Prevalence, characteristics, associated mental disorders and predictors of DSM-IV nicotine dependence.
OBJECTIVE
Focussing on ever-smokers and comparing nicotine-dependent with nondependent subjects, we examined the characteristics, associations of nicotine dependence with other mental disorders as well as predictors of nicotine dependence. Never-smokers were not included in the reference group of the nondependent subjects, but were analyzed as a third group.


METHODS
Data of 1,636 never-smokers and 2,437 ever-smokers (i.e. 1,520 current smokers, 917 former smokers) were taken from the German Transitions in Alcohol Consumption and Smoking Study. Assessments were made using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview.


RESULTS
About a third of the ever-smokers met the criteria for nicotine dependence in some point in their lives. Nicotine-dependent smoking was significantly associated with various substance use disorders, affective disorders and anxiety disorders using nondependent smoking as a reference group. Comparing never-smokers and nondependent ever-smokers, significant associations were found for substance use disorders only. Smoking behavior variables, alcohol abuse or dependence and anxiety disorders but not sociodemographic variables and affective disorders were predictors for nicotine dependence.


CONCLUSIONS
Nicotine-dependent smoking is distinct from smoking alone and nicotine-dependent smokers are a characteristically different subgroup within the smoking population.
Schumann
Anja
A
Institute of Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Ernst Moritz Arndt University Greifswald, Germany. schumann@mail.uni-greifswald.de
Hapke
Ulfert
U
Meyer
Christian
C
Rumpf
Hans-Jürgen
HJ
John
Ulrich
U
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011159:Population Surveillance; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*