The Perceived Impact of COVID-19 among Treatment-Seeking Smokers: A Mixed Methods Approach

Rosoff-Verbit, Zoe; Logue-Chamberlain, Erin; Fishman, Jessica; Audrain-McGovern, Janet; Hawk, Larry W.; Mahoney, Martin C.; Mazur, Alexa; Ashare, Rebecca L.

doi:10.3390/ijerph18020505

Cited by 22 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Perceptions of greater risks of both becoming infected and suffering severe complications were associated with an increased importance of quitting which suggests that smokers may be motivated to quit due to the threat of COVID-19. Smokers enrolled in smoking cessations trials during the pandemic reported that their motivation to quit was altered by the pandemic [35]. A study among smokers from the United Kingdom and Australia found that 45% of respondents wanted more information on smoking and COVID-19 health risks [36].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tobacco Use Changes and Perceived Health Risks among Current Tobacco Users during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Yingst

Krebs

Bordner

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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COVID-19 has become a global pandemic, with over 81 million cases worldwide. To assess changes in tobacco use as a result of the pandemic, we surveyed a convenience sample of current tobacco users between April and June 2020. The sample was taken from a tobacco user research registry (n = 3396) from the Penn State College of Medicine in Hershey, Pennsylvania, USA. Participants who responded to the survey and were eligible for this study (n = 291) were 25.6% male, 93% white, and had a mean age of 47.3 (SD = 11.6) years. There were no reports of participants testing positive for COVID-19, but 21.7% reported experiencing symptoms associated with the virus. Most participants (67%) believed that their risk of contracting COVID-19 was the same as non-tobacco users, but 57.7% believed that their risk of serious complications, if infected, was greater compared to non-tobacco users. A total of 28% reported increasing their cigarette use during the pandemic. The most common reasons for increased use were increased stress, more time at home, and boredom while quarantined. Nearly 15% reported decreasing their tobacco use. The most common reasons for reduced use were health concerns and more time around non-smokers (including children). A total of 71 (24.5%) users reported making a quit attempt. Characterizing these pandemic-related changes in tobacco use may be important to understanding the full scope of subsequent health outcomes resulting from the pandemic. Tobacco cessation resources should be tailored to allow for safe, appropriate access for those interested in quitting.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Tobacco Use Changes and Perceived Health Risks among Current Tobacco Users during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Yingst

Krebs

Bordner

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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“…Prior research has also documented both increased and decreased smoking during the pandemic [9,10,12], with people reporting a variety of reasons for changes in their smoking, such as disrupted schedules and social situations [12,[14][15][16], financial and logistical constraints [12,15,16], and stress [12,[14][15][16]. While health concerns of smoking and COVID-19 contributed to decreased smoking [12,[14][15][16], other factors were also influential. Other studies using the HBM to predict behavior and behavioral intentions during the pandemic [21][22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30] have also produced mixed results.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Perceived stress from the pandemic was significantly associated with both increased smoking and decreased smoking. Prior research has also documented both increased and decreased smoking during the pandemic [ 9 , 10 , 12 ], with people reporting a variety of reasons for changes in their smoking, such as disrupted schedules and social situations [ 12 , 14 , 15 , 16 ], financial and logistical constraints [ 12 , 15 , 16 ], and stress [ 12 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. While health concerns of smoking and COVID-19 contributed to decreased smoking [ 12 , 14 , 15 , 16 ], other factors were also influential.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Data from the Nielsen National Consumer Panel, representative of U.S. consumers, showed a 13.2% increase in tobacco sales during 1 April–30 June 2020, compared to the same dates in 2019 [ 13 ]. Across adults of varying ages in the U.S. and Belgium, the reported reasons for decreasing smoking include spending more time around one’s children [ 14 ], spending less time in social situations that promote smoking [ 12 , 14 , 15 , 16 ], difficulty obtaining or affording cigarettes [ 12 , 15 , 16 ], and health concerns [ 12 , 14 , 15 , 16 ]. The reported reasons for increased smoking include increased stress [ 12 , 14 , 15 , 16 ], boredom [ 10 , 12 , 14 , 15 ], less social support for quitting smoking [ 15 ], and having greater flexibility in one’s schedule [ 14 , 16 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Perceived Susceptibility to and Seriousness of COVID-19: Associations of Risk Perceptions with Changes in Smoking Behavior

Vogel

Henriksen

Schleicher

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, studies have documented increased and decreased cigarette smoking among adults. Individual differences in the perceived susceptibility and seriousness of the virus, for people who smoke in general and for oneself personally, may relate to changes in smoking. Using the Health Belief Model (HBM) as a theoretical framework, we examined associations with self-reported increasing and decreasing smoking a lot during the COVID-19 stay-at-home period. Adults in 30 large U.S. cities who smoked cigarettes daily completed an online survey between 14 July and 30 November 2020. The analytic sample (N = 2768) was 54.0% male and 68.3% white with 23.7% reporting increasing and 11.3% decreasing smoking (6% reported both). Younger age, a diagnosis of COVID-19, and greater pandemic-related stress were associated with greater odds of both increased and decreased smoking. Increased smoking also was associated with heavier nicotine dependence, greater desire to quit, and greater perceived susceptibility and lower perceived seriousness of COVID-19 for people who smoke, while pandemic-related job-loss, lower nicotine dependence, and greater self-efficacy were associated with decreased smoking. Among respondents who had not contracted COVID-19 (n = 2418), correlates were similar with the addition of greater perceived personal susceptibility to COVID-19 associated with both increased and decreased smoking, while greater perceived personal seriousness of COVID-19 was associated with increased smoking. Findings for risk perceptions were largely in directions that contradict the HBM. Circumstances surrounding behavior change during the pandemic are complex and may be especially complex for nicotine addiction.

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“…More than half of American smokers were motivated to quit smoking during the pandemic. Some even found that pandemic-related restrictions like the 'stay-at-home' order made it easier to quit smoking due to less accessibility to cigarettes [66] . Kowitt et al reported that more than 70% of smokers in the United States (US) had intentions to quit tobacco and almost half of them attempted to quit in the first six months of the pandemic [67] .…”

Section: Tobacco Smoking Reduction and Cessationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Positive Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Public Health Measures on Healthcare

Hoo¹,

Loh²,

Ch’ng³

et al. 2021

Prog Micobes Mol Biol

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In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, several unexpected positive outcomes have surfaced. The WHO public health measures have positively transformed people’s behaviour and lifestyles. The pandemic has prompted more focus on self-care and health awareness. Hand hygiene practice has been greatly emphasised. The acceptance rate for the use of personal protective equipment, such as face masks, has been remarkable. People with co-morbid conditions are paying more attention to their primary illnesses by improving diets and exercise methods. People are more willing to accept and act on public health messages. The pandemic lockdowns have not only successfully mitigated the transmission of coronavirus, but they have also indirectly reduced the hospital admission rates for endemic community respiratory infections and trauma-related emergencies like motor vehicle accidents. Fetomaternal health and wellness have significantly improved during the pandemic. The abrupt emergence of COVID-19 has also led to a massive societal shift on tobacco smoking cessation. Smokers are compelled to reflect on the harmful effects of cigarette smoking in relation to COVID-19. Issues of mental, relational and sexual health are put in the spotlight during the pandemic. People are investing more time in themselves, family and relationships. The world has seen an unprecedented global race in healthcare innovation and technology development in tackling the same global issue. Artificial intelligence, including robots and drones, have been rapidly developed and employed for healthcare as well as food and delivery services in order to minimise human physical contact. This article discusses several unforeseen positive impacts on healthcare that emerged from the COVID-19 public health measures that have been implemented. The positive impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic should be highlighted in order to provide hope to our community.

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The Perceived Impact of COVID-19 among Treatment-Seeking Smokers: A Mixed Methods Approach

Cited by 22 publications

References 25 publications

Tobacco Use Changes and Perceived Health Risks among Current Tobacco Users during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Tobacco Use Changes and Perceived Health Risks among Current Tobacco Users during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Perceived Susceptibility to and Seriousness of COVID-19: Associations of Risk Perceptions with Changes in Smoking Behavior

Positive Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic and Public Health Measures on Healthcare

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