Premenstrual symptoms and smoking-related expectancies

Abstract

Given that prior research implicates smoking abstinence in increased premenstrual symptoms, tobacco withdrawal, and smoking behaviors, it is possible that women with more severe premenstrual symptoms have stronger expectancies about the effects of smoking and abstaining from smoking on mood and withdrawal. However, such relations have not been previously explored. This study examined relations between premenstrual symptoms experienced in the last month and expectancies that abstaining from smoking results in withdrawal (i.e., smoking abstinence withdrawal expectancies), that smoking is pleasurable (i.e., positive reinforcement smoking expectancies), and smoking relieves negative mood (i.e., negative reinforcement smoking expectancies). In a cross-sectional design, 97 non-treatment seeking women daily smokers completed self-report measures of smoking reinforcement expectancies, smoking abstinence withdrawal expectancies, premenstrual symptoms, mood symptoms, and nicotine dependence. Affect premenstrual symptoms were associated with increased negative reinforcement smoking expectancies, but not over and above covariates. Affect and pain premenstrual symptoms were associated with increased positive reinforcement smoking expectancies, but only affect premenstrual symptoms remained significant in adjusted models. Affect, pain, and water retention premenstrual symptoms were associated with increased smoking abstinence withdrawal expectancies, but only affect premenstrual symptoms remained significant in adjusted models. Findings from this study suggest that addressing concerns about withdrawal and alternatives to smoking may be particularly important in women who experience more severe premenstrual symptoms, especially affect-related changes.

Premenstrual symptoms and factors implicated in smoking cessation among woman smokers.

“…Thus, these findings should be interpreted with caution until replicated. These findings expand previous work showing associations between PMS and withdrawal symptoms (Allen, Hatsukami, Christianson, & Nelson, 1999) and expectations that smoking abstinence results in withdrawal (Pang et al, 2016), to suggest that women who experience more severe affective PMS may also experience greater withdrawal during quit attempts. Daytime tobacco dependence has been interpreted to assess the persistence in which nicotine levels are maintained at a given threshold throughout the day (Richardson & Ratner, 2005).…”

Impact of menstrual cycle on smoking cessation: A review

“…It should also be noted that premenstrual syndrome is experienced during this phase. In fact, two studies in this review (Pang et al, 2016; found a positive correlation between withdrawal symptoms and the presence of premenstrual symptoms. Choi and Hamidovic (2020) have noted that this relationship may be maintained because smoking can help reduce the discomfort caused by premenstrual syndrome, although at the same time they have also found that smoking triggers an increase in these symptoms.…”

“…To evaluate the relationship between ovarian hormone levels and smoking behavior. Effect of premenstrual syndrome on withdrawal syndrome Pang et al (2016) To evaluate the relationship between premenstrual symptoms in the past month with expectations of withdrawal syndrome and expectations of positive and negative reinforcement of consumption.…”