[Factorial structure of the Brazilian version of the Modified Reasons for Smoking Scale]

To characterize the factorial structure, and psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Modified Reasons for Smoking Scale (MRFSS).

Three hundred eleven smokers (214 male; mean age: 37.6 +/- 10.8 years), who had gone to the 'Hemocentro de Ribeirão Preto' to donate blood , answered 21 items of the Brazilian version of the MRFSS, the Fagerström test, and the Criteria of Brazilian Economic Classification. Scores of the MRFSS items were evaluated regarding their grouping, employing exploratory factorial analysis. The influence of clinical features on scores of the final factorial solution was also investigated.

Factorial analysis led to the characterization of 7 factors: addiction, stimulation, pleasure to smoke, handling, social smoking, tension reduction/relaxation, and habit/automatism. Four questions were excluded due to factorial loadings of less than 0.3. The final version was formed by 17 items showing a minimal factorial loading of 0.376. Women showed high scores of addiction (3.5 X 3.1), tension reduction/relaxation (4.1 X 3.5), and handling (2.4 X 2.0). Low scores of the Fagerström test were associated to low scores in addiction, tension reduction/relaxation, habit/automatism and stimulation.

The Brazilian version of the MRFSS, comprised of 17 items, exhibits satisfactory factorial structure, and psychometric properties.