Psychometric properties of the Nicotine E-cigarette Withdrawal Scale for use with adults

Nicotine withdrawal promotes continued use and deters cessation efforts, making it an important target for research and intervention efforts. However, validated measures of e-cigarette withdrawal were absent until the recent addition of the retrospective Nicotine E-cigarette Withdrawal Scale (NEWS), which was developed and validated for adolescents. Here, we evaluated its psychometric properties for use with adults.

In Fall 2024, 458 adults ages ≥ 21 (mean = 29.29, standard deviation = 7.98) who resided in the United States and reported using e-cigarettes ≥ 20 days in the past month completed a 15-minute, anonymous, online survey. Analyses included conducting exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses to determine the optimal latent structure of the NEWS, examining internal reliability, testing measurement invariance (e.g., daily versus non-daily e-cigarette use), evaluating between-groups differences, and examining test-criterion relationships with constructs including e-cigarette dependence and previous e-cigarette cessation attempts.

The 25-item, 4-factor solution previously validated for youth was confirmed for adults. The NEWS can be scored to reflect Overall Withdrawal and by its subscales: Negative Affect, Negative Physical Symptoms, Craving, and Appetite/Food. Internal reliability was excellent (mean α = 0.91). Scalar measurement invariance was met for all groups tested (e.g., sex, exclusive e-cigarette use versus dual-use), and between-group differences were detected. Evidence for concurrent validity included, but was not limited to, observed relationships between greater e-cigarette dependence and all NEWS scores.

The NEWS evidenced good psychometric properties for use with adults. Additional research should establish the utility of the NEWS for assessing acute nicotine e-cigarette withdrawal in adults.