Advancing the Understanding of Craving During Smoking Cessation Attempts: A Demonstration of the Time-Varying Effect Model

Abstract

Advancing the understanding of smoking cessation requires a complex and nuanced understanding of behavior change. To this end, ecological momentary assessments (EMA) are now being collected extensively. The time-varying effect model (TVEM) is a statistical technique ideally suited to model processes that unfold as behavior and nicotine dependence change. Coefficients are expressed dynamically over time and are represented as smooth functions of time.

Ecological momentary assessment in the investigation of craving and substance use in daily life: A systematic review

“…Investigations reported a consistent positive correlation between negative affect and tobacco craving (Berkman et al, 2011a;Delfino et al, 2001;Dunbar et al, 2010;Ferguson et al, 2006;Lanza et al, 2014;McCarthy et al, 2006;O'Connell et al, 2000O'Connell et al, , 2004Shiyko et al, 2012Shiyko et al, , 2014Whalen et al, 2001). One study reported a decreased association between craving and negative affect over time following quitting (Shiyko et al, 2012).…”

Impulsive Personality, Parental Monitoring, and Alcohol Outcomes From Adolescence Through Young Adulthood

“…We used logistic TVEM [17] to examine how our predictors were associated with the odds of HED and harms from ages 16 to 28 years. TVEMs were fit using the logistic_TVEM SAS macro [34].…”

“…TVEMs were fit using the logistic_TVEM SAS macro [34]. TVEM flexibly estimates how the association between a predictor and outcome differs as a function of age without assuming that the association follows a parametric function of time [17]. TVEM uses all available data for every individual over time; thus, time-specific observations with missing values are excluded from the model at that time point [30].…”

“…The present study addresses these previous limitations by using logistic time-varying effect models (TVEM) [17] to estimate the time-varying independent and combined associations of two dimensions of impulsivity, sensation seeking and lack of perseverance, and parental monitoring with heavy episodic drinking (HED) and alcohol-related problems from ages 16 to 28 years. TVEM is a nonparametric model that allows associations between variables to be flexibly estimated over time [17].…”

“…TVEM is a nonparametric model that allows associations between variables to be flexibly estimated over time [17]. Recent work using TVEM determined substance use and depression was most strongly linked to having multiple sexual partners between ages 14 and 32 years, and that associations became weaker with age [18].…”