title: Cigarette smoking: Evidence to guide measurement.
abstract: Smoking cessation programs measure outcomes in terms of abstinence from or reduction in smoking. These outcomes can be measured through self-report by the smoker, through measurement with a biological marker of smoking, or through a combination of both. Consideration of the relative advantages of self-report and biomarker approaches is important in the selection of measurement strategies to evaluate outcomes in smoking cessation interventions. In this article both ways of measuring smoking behavior, self-report and biomarkers of carbon monoxide, cotinine, nicotine, thiocyanate, and alkaloids of nicotine, are explored. Measurement approaches are discussed in light of research evidence and their physiologic bases.
authors.affiliation: Academic Center for Evidence-Based Practice, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, 7703 Floyd Curl Drive, MC 7951, San Antonio, TX 78229-3900, USA.
authors.forename: Kathleen R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: Laura R
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Muñoz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D015415:Biomarkers; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000378:metabolism; D003367:Cotinine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006207:Half-Life; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000378:metabolism / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D015399:Nursing Research; D012907:Smoking / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009538:Nicotine; D002248:Carbon Monoxide; D003367:Cotinine