Anxiety sensitivity class membership moderates the effects of pre-quit reduction in anxiety sensitivity on quit-day tobacco craving.

BACKGROUND

Although anxiety sensitivity has been primarily conceptualized as a dimensional latent construct, empirical evidence suggests that it also maintains a latent class structure, reflecting low-, moderate-, and high-risk underlying classes. The present study sought to explore whether these anxiety sensitivity classes moderated the relations between the degree of pre-quit reductions in anxiety sensitivity and the severity of nicotine withdrawal symptoms and craving experienced on quit-day.

METHODS

Participants included 195 adult smokers (47% female; Mage=39.4) participating in a larger "anxiety sensitivity reduction-smoking cessation" intervention trial.

RESULTS

Anxiety sensitivity class significantly moderated relations between pre-quit reduction in anxiety sensitivity and quit-day craving. Specifically, smokers within the anxiety sensitivity high-risk class, who also demonstrated lesser pre-quit reductions in anxiety sensitivity, experienced the highest levels of craving on quit-day.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the importance of 'high-risk' classes of anxiety sensitivity to better understand the experience of craving on quit day.