Comparative assessment of obsessive compulsive smoking scale – A cross-sectional study among private bus drivers of Namakkal District, Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Background: Assessment of tobacco-induced preoccupation and compulsive drive may help us to better diagnose addictive behavior, enhance cessation treatment, and predict smokers at the greatest risk of relapse. Objective: This study attempted to make a comparative assessment of the Obsessive Compulsive Smoking Scale (OCSS), which measures compulsive smoking with the Modified Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) Scale. Methodology: The cross-sectional study included 250 private bus drivers of Namakkal district, Tamil Nadu, who were current smokers. OCSS and Modified FTND Scale were used to collect the data on nicotine dependence. Ordinal regression analysis was used to compare OCSS and FTND scales with smoking dependence predictor variables. Results: About 79% of the drivers exhibited high OCSS scores. The OCSS scores were significantly associated with variables such as duration of smoking, the number of cigarettes/bidis consumed, time of consumption of first cigarette, age when first smoked, age of daily smoking, and the number of quit attempts. Ordinal regression analysis revealed a higher statistically significant proportional odds ratio associated with the OCSS scale compared to the FTND scale (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The results suggest that the OCSS scale offers a better measure of nicotine dependence than the Modified FTND scale. Further studies are needed to conclude that the OCSS scale has better advantages over the FTND scale in clinical settings and thus be used as an effective tool in cessation programs.

Keywords

• bus drivers
• compulsive drive
• obsessive compulsive smoking scale
• preoccupation
• tobacco smoking