title: The Smoking-Related Weight and Eating Episodes Test (SWEET): development and preliminary validation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many smokers believe that smoking helps them to control their weight, and concerns about weight gain can interfere with smoking cessation. As researchers typically assess general weight concerns, a measure specific to smoking-related weight concerns is needed.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Smoking-related Weight and Eating Episodes Test (SWEET) was created by generating items from 4 content domains: Hunger, Craving, Overeating, and Body Image. Female undergraduate smokers (N = 280) rated their postcessation weight gain concern and completed the SWEET, Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence, Brief Smoking Consequences Questionnaire-Adult, Eating Attitudes Test (EAT)-26, Bulimia Test-Revised (BULIT-R), and Body Shape Questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Factor analysis of the initial items suggested a 4-factor solution, suggesting 4 subscales: Smoking to suppress appetite, smoking to prevent overeating, smoking to cope with body dissatisfaction, and withdrawal-related appetite increases. Based on these results, the SWEET subscales were revised and shortened. The resulting 10-item SWEET showed excellent internal consistency (total α = .94; mean α = .86) and evidence of validity by predicting smoking frequency, eating pathology, and body image concerns (ps < .05). Smoking frequency, eating pathology, and body image concerns were significantly predicted by the SWEET while controlling for existing measures of postcessation weight gain concern.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SWEET appears to be a reliable and valid measure of tendencies to smoke in response to body image concern and nicotine withdrawal and as a way to control appetite and overeating.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Louisiana State University, 236 Audubon Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA. cadams44@gmail.com
authors.forename: Claire E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Adams
authors.forename: Lauren E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Baillie
authors.forename: Amy L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Copeland
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001066:Appetite; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D006815:Hunger; D006963:Hyperphagia / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D015430:Weight Gain; D055815:Young Adult