Antecedents and Consequences of Smoking Cessation Intention in the Context of the Global COVID-19 Infodemic

Abstract

A growing body of scientific studies has been published to inform responses to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and some have claimed that cigarette smoking has a beneficial or mixed effect on the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. The presentation of such findings, unfortunately, has created an infodemic. This study integrated the theory of planned behavior and the health belief model and incorporated findings on addiction from the medical literature to predict cessation intention and support for tobacco control measures in the context of the COVID-19 infodemic. The study found that cessation intention partially mediated the effect of perceived severity and fully mediated the effects of perceived benefits, self-efficacy, and addiction on support for control measures. In addition, a positively-valenced message of the effect of smoking on the prevention and treatment of COVID-19 vs. a mixedly-valenced message was significant in predicting cessation intention, and the positively-valenced message of smoking indirectly predicted support for tobacco control measures. Perceived susceptibility, barriers, and subjective norms, however, exerted neither direct nor indirect effects on the two outcome variables.

Identification of factors associated with non-adherence to recommended COVID-19 preventive behaviours: a cross-sectional study based on a survey among 1004 French primary care professionals

“…In our study, smoking was significantly associated with non-adherence to preventive behaviours. The effect of smoking on COVID-19 infection has been extensively studied, with contradictory findings 18. At the beginning of the pandemic, smoking was considered a protective factor against infection.…”

“…The effect of smoking on COVID-19 infection has been extensively studied, with contradictory findings. 18 At the beginning of the pandemic, smoking was considered a protective factor against infection. Indeed, compared with the general population, the percentage of smokers was lower among COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 positive patients and in COVID-19 patients in intensive care units.…”