The association of psychological distress and economic and health worries with tobacco smoking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-year longitudinal cohort study
Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic and other life events may trigger worries and psychological distress. These impacts may lead to unhealthy behaviors, such as tobacco smoking, but the degree of such associations is unclear. The current three-wave longitudinal study examines changes in tobacc...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2024-02-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-17943-x |
| _version_ | 1797272907476369408 |
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| author | Silvia Eiken Alpers Karl Trygve Druckrey-Fiskaaen Tesfaye Madebo Jørn Henrik Vold Ståle Pallesen Jens Christoffer Skogen Linn-Heidi Lunde Silje Mæland Lars Thore Fadnes |
| author_facet | Silvia Eiken Alpers Karl Trygve Druckrey-Fiskaaen Tesfaye Madebo Jørn Henrik Vold Ståle Pallesen Jens Christoffer Skogen Linn-Heidi Lunde Silje Mæland Lars Thore Fadnes |
| author_sort | Silvia Eiken Alpers |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic and other life events may trigger worries and psychological distress. These impacts may lead to unhealthy behaviors, such as tobacco smoking, but the degree of such associations is unclear. The current three-wave longitudinal study examines changes in tobacco smoking in Norway between 2020 and 2022 and their associations with psychological distress as well as health- and economy-related worries. Methods Data were collected in April 2020 (baseline), January 2021, and January 2022 in Bergen, Norway, from an online longitudinal population-based survey. Smoking tobacco (the outcome variable) was dichotomized based on the responses to the question of whether participants smoked cigarettes or not. Tobacco smoking and its associations with psychological distress were assessed among 24,914 participants (response rate 36%) in a mixed model regression presented with coefficients and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusting for COVID-19-related worries, home office/study, occupational situation, age, gender, education, having children below 18 years living at home, living alone, and alcohol consumption. Results A total of 10% of the study sample were current smokers at baseline. At baseline, smoking tobacco was associated with high levels of psychological distress (absolute difference 13%, 95% CI 10%; 15%), advanced age (50−59 years: 11%, CI 10%; 13%), and hazardous alcohol use (4%, CI 3%; 5%) compared to their counterparts. Higher education (-5%, CI -6%; -4%), working from home (-4%, CI -5%; -4%), and higher physical activity levels (-4%, CI -5%; -3%) were associated with non-smoking. The prevalence of smoking among individuals experiencing severe psychological distress decreased slightly over time (-2% per year, CI -3%; -1%). Conclusions Smoking was associated with severe psychological distress, advanced age, and hazardous alcohol use at baseline; non-smoking was associated with high education, working from home, and high physical activity. Nevertheless, the smoking rate among individuals experiencing severe psychological distress slightly decreased over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:36:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8d83ba63c4a947ebac95c11fb4ec756d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T14:36:02Z |
| publishDate | 2024-02-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-8d83ba63c4a947ebac95c11fb4ec756d2024-03-05T20:38:32ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582024-02-0124111210.1186/s12889-024-17943-xThe association of psychological distress and economic and health worries with tobacco smoking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-year longitudinal cohort studySilvia Eiken Alpers0Karl Trygve Druckrey-Fiskaaen1Tesfaye Madebo2Jørn Henrik Vold3Ståle Pallesen4Jens Christoffer Skogen5Linn-Heidi Lunde6Silje Mæland7Lars Thore Fadnes8Department of Addiction Medicine, Haukeland University HospitalBergen Addiction Research, Department of Addiction Medicine, Haukeland University HospitalBergen Addiction Research, Department of Addiction Medicine, Haukeland University HospitalBergen Addiction Research, Department of Addiction Medicine, Haukeland University HospitalDepartment of Psychosocial Science, Faculty of Psychology, University of BergenDepartment of Health Promotion, Norwegian Institute of Public HealthDepartment of Addiction Medicine, Haukeland University HospitalDepartment of Global Public Health and Primary Care, Faculty of Medicine, University of BergenBergen Addiction Research, Department of Addiction Medicine, Haukeland University HospitalAbstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic and other life events may trigger worries and psychological distress. These impacts may lead to unhealthy behaviors, such as tobacco smoking, but the degree of such associations is unclear. The current three-wave longitudinal study examines changes in tobacco smoking in Norway between 2020 and 2022 and their associations with psychological distress as well as health- and economy-related worries. Methods Data were collected in April 2020 (baseline), January 2021, and January 2022 in Bergen, Norway, from an online longitudinal population-based survey. Smoking tobacco (the outcome variable) was dichotomized based on the responses to the question of whether participants smoked cigarettes or not. Tobacco smoking and its associations with psychological distress were assessed among 24,914 participants (response rate 36%) in a mixed model regression presented with coefficients and 95% confidence intervals (CI), adjusting for COVID-19-related worries, home office/study, occupational situation, age, gender, education, having children below 18 years living at home, living alone, and alcohol consumption. Results A total of 10% of the study sample were current smokers at baseline. At baseline, smoking tobacco was associated with high levels of psychological distress (absolute difference 13%, 95% CI 10%; 15%), advanced age (50−59 years: 11%, CI 10%; 13%), and hazardous alcohol use (4%, CI 3%; 5%) compared to their counterparts. Higher education (-5%, CI -6%; -4%), working from home (-4%, CI -5%; -4%), and higher physical activity levels (-4%, CI -5%; -3%) were associated with non-smoking. The prevalence of smoking among individuals experiencing severe psychological distress decreased slightly over time (-2% per year, CI -3%; -1%). Conclusions Smoking was associated with severe psychological distress, advanced age, and hazardous alcohol use at baseline; non-smoking was associated with high education, working from home, and high physical activity. Nevertheless, the smoking rate among individuals experiencing severe psychological distress slightly decreased over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-17943-xCOVID-19SmokingTobaccoPsychological distressWorriesRisk factors |
| spellingShingle | Silvia Eiken Alpers Karl Trygve Druckrey-Fiskaaen Tesfaye Madebo Jørn Henrik Vold Ståle Pallesen Jens Christoffer Skogen Linn-Heidi Lunde Silje Mæland Lars Thore Fadnes The association of psychological distress and economic and health worries with tobacco smoking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-year longitudinal cohort study BMC Public Health COVID-19 Smoking Tobacco Psychological distress Worries Risk factors |
| title | The association of psychological distress and economic and health worries with tobacco smoking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-year longitudinal cohort study |
| title_full | The association of psychological distress and economic and health worries with tobacco smoking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-year longitudinal cohort study |
| title_fullStr | The association of psychological distress and economic and health worries with tobacco smoking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-year longitudinal cohort study |
| title_full_unstemmed | The association of psychological distress and economic and health worries with tobacco smoking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-year longitudinal cohort study |
| title_short | The association of psychological distress and economic and health worries with tobacco smoking behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic: a two-year longitudinal cohort study |
| title_sort | association of psychological distress and economic and health worries with tobacco smoking behavior during the covid 19 pandemic a two year longitudinal cohort study |
| topic | COVID-19 Smoking Tobacco Psychological distress Worries Risk factors |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-17943-x |
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