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. 2023 Mar 2;25(7):1310–1318. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntad030

Table 1.

Baseline Item Distributions and Pre- and Post-Intervention Differences: Draft NRT Concern Items

Draft NRT concern items Baseline (N = 39) Pre- and post-intervention
(N = 24)
Resulting item removals and amendments
Mean(SD) Mean(SD) pre Mean(SD) post Mean(SE) change P a
c1. I would feel embarrassed to be seen using NRT in pregnancy 1.9(0.92) 1.5(0.66) 1.2(0.41) −0.25(0.14) .084 Item removed: baseline agreement <2; confirmed by intervention practitioners as not a concern
c2. I am worried that I might get more nicotine from NRT than from smoking 2.1(0.91) 2.1(1.02) 1.4(0.58) −0.71(0.22) .006 Amendment: “I’m worried I might get more nicotine from NRT than from smoking”
c3. Nicotine is harmful to my baby 4.3(0.92) 4.1(1.03) 2.1(1.10) −2.04(0.29) <.001 Item unchanged
c4. I could easily get a free supply of NRT for as long as I need itb (N=37) 3.1(1.02) 3.1(1.10) 3.8(0.96) 0.75(0.28) .013 Item removed: “don’t know” from two participants; high proportion of “3” responses; beyond intervention scope
c5. I would find it hard to remember to take NRT regularly 2.2(0.81) 2.1(0.90) 2.1(1.12) 0.00(0.19) .963 Item removed: no sensitivity to change; reconsidered to measure self-efficacy
c6. Nicotine is the most harmful part of cigarettes 3.1(1.28) 2.9(1.38) 1.8(0.78) −1.13(0.33) .005 Item unchanged
c7. I am worried that NRT won’t give me enough nicotine to cope with my cravings 3.2(0.95) 3.3(1.00) 2.0(1.00) −1.33(0.20) <.001 Amendment: “I’m worried NRT won’t give me enough nicotine to cope with my cravings”
c8. I am worried that there will be side effects from taking NRT 3.1(0.92) 3.1(0.99) 2.2(1.09) −0.96(0.32) .010 Amendment: “I’m worried there will be side effects from using NRT”
c9. NRT would be unpleasant for me to use e.g., taste bad 3.1(0.81) 3.0(0.75) 2.1(1.03) −0.83(0.26) .007 Amendment: “NRT would be unpleasant to use e.g., taste bad”
c10. NRT is not addictiveb 2.9(0.79) 3.0(0.88) 3.8(1.22) 0.75(0.26) .008 Amendment, to reduce cognitive load: “not” removed: “I’m worried NRT could be addictive”
c11. NRT is safe for my babyb 3.4(0.74) 3.4(0.71) 4.4(0.88) 1.00(0.21) .001 Item unchangedb
c12. I would want to use the least amount of NRT possible in pregnancy 3.4(0.74) 3.4(0.72) 2.5(0.98) −0.96(0.21) .001 Amendment, to clarify meaning: “I’d want to use only a small amount of NRT while pregnant”
c13. It is dangerous to smoke any cigarettes at the same time as using NRT 3.6(0.84) 3.7(0.86) 2.7(1.04) −1.00(0.16) <.001 Amendment, to align more closely with women’s concerns and behavior: “It’s dangerous to keep using NRT if I smoke during a quit attempt”
c14. I am worried that I could “overdose” on nicotine when using NRT 2.5(1.00) 2.5(1.06) 1.4(0.58) −1.17(0.22) <.001 Amendment: I’m worried I could “overdose” on nicotine when using NRT
c15. NRT will not be as satisfying as cigarettes 3.4(0.84) 3.3(1.01) 2.8(1.10) −0.54(0.23) .036 Item removed: reconsidered as likely true; beyond intervention scope

Item c10 was adapted directly from a Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) concern (“I sometimes worry about becoming too dependent on my medicines”); items c2, c3, c6, c8, c11 loosely reflect a BMQ concern (“I sometimes worry about the long-term effects of my medicines”); items c1, c4, c5, c7, c9, c12, c13–15 are novel. NRT = nicotine replacement therapy.

aFrom paired Wilcoxon tests (2-tailed, α = 0.05).

bReverse-scored item, where agreement indicates lack of concern about using NRT. A score of 5 is transformed to 1, a score of 4 to 2, and so on.