Table 4

Effects of intervention on nicotine withdrawal symptoms and urges to smoke


Intervention Mean (SD)
Control Mean (SD)
Difference (95%CI) intervention minus control1

Withdrawal symptoms



     MPSS-M baseline
8.9 (3.3)
10.9 (4.0)

     MPSS-M week 1
10.1 (3.3)
10.4 (2.5)
-0.6 (-3.4 to 2.9)
     MPSS-M week 2
9.4 (3.1)
10.6 (3.6)
-0.1 (-2.6 to 2.4)
     MPSS-M week 3
8.5 (2.1)
10.6 (2.9)
-1.8 (-5.3 to 1.8)
     MPSS-M week 4
8.6 (2.7)
10.8 (3.4)
-1.1 (-4.5 to 2.3)
Urges to smoke



     MPSS-C week 1
7.1 (1.8)
7.0 (2.2)
0.1 (-1.6 to 1.8)
     MPSS-C week 2
7.6 (1.8)
7.2 (2.6)
0.4 (-1.6 to 2.3)
     MPSS-C week 3
7.0 (1.4)
6.3 (2.8)
0.7 (-2.0 to 3.5)
     MPSS-C week 4
8.3 (2.0)
7.3 (2.5)
1.0 (-1.4 to 3.4)

1 Adjusted for baseline for MPSS-M values but not MPSS-C in accord with instructions for the scale

Al-Chalabi et al. BMC Public Health 2008 8:349   doi:10.1186/1471-2458-8-349