Impact of mandatory masking amid the COVID-19 pandemic on outdoor smoking: an interrupted time-series analysis of a 33-month unobtrusive observational study
BackgroundMask-wearing in outdoor public places in Hong Kong was mandated on 29 July 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to evaluate the impact of mandatory masking with no exemption for smoking on outdoor smoking.MethodsWe conducted 253 unobtrusive observations at 10 outdoor smoking hotspots...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-07-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1136621/full |
| _version_ | 1797781733784944640 |
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| author | Yuying Sun Yuying Sun Yongda Socrates Wu Yee Tak Derek Cheung Man Ping Wang Jianjiu Chen Jianjiu Chen Lok Tung Leung Xiaoyu Zhang Kin Yeung Chak Kin Yeung Chak Tai Hing Lam Sai Yin Ho |
| author_facet | Yuying Sun Yuying Sun Yongda Socrates Wu Yee Tak Derek Cheung Man Ping Wang Jianjiu Chen Jianjiu Chen Lok Tung Leung Xiaoyu Zhang Kin Yeung Chak Kin Yeung Chak Tai Hing Lam Sai Yin Ho |
| author_sort | Yuying Sun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundMask-wearing in outdoor public places in Hong Kong was mandated on 29 July 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to evaluate the impact of mandatory masking with no exemption for smoking on outdoor smoking.MethodsWe conducted 253 unobtrusive observations at 10 outdoor smoking hotspots in 33 months from July 2019 to March 2022 and counted smokers and non-smoking pedestrians in fixed boundaries. We conducted interrupted time-series analyses on the monthly mean volume of smokers (persons per hour) using generalized linear models. The independent variables were as follows: time since the first observation, implementation of the mask regulation, time since the regulation, seasonality, and waves 1–5 outbreaks. We checked the robustness of the association using the daily mean volume of smokers as the dependent variable. Two sensitivity analyses were conducted to include the hotspot location or the number of all pedestrians as an offset.ResultsMonthly outdoor smoking decreased immediately after the regulation (incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 0.505, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.374 to 0.680, P < 0.001). Daily smoking analysis and the two sensitivity analyses supported the results. However, monthly outdoor smoking increased by 11% since the regulation (IRR: 1.110, 95% CI: 1.074 to 1.147, P < 0.001). An exception was observed at the most severe wave 5 outbreak when monthly outdoor smoking decreased (IRR: 0.415, 95% CI: 0.327 to 0.525, P < 0.001).ConclusionOutdoor smoking fell immediately after mandatory masking, rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, and decreased again at the most severe wave 5. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T00:01:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b8eeb1e935c94294a1b7a57cdaa13e7d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-2565 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T00:01:17Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-b8eeb1e935c94294a1b7a57cdaa13e7d2023-07-13T11:19:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Public Health2296-25652023-07-011110.3389/fpubh.2023.11366211136621Impact of mandatory masking amid the COVID-19 pandemic on outdoor smoking: an interrupted time-series analysis of a 33-month unobtrusive observational studyYuying Sun0Yuying Sun1Yongda Socrates Wu2Yee Tak Derek Cheung3Man Ping Wang4Jianjiu Chen5Jianjiu Chen6Lok Tung Leung7Xiaoyu Zhang8Kin Yeung Chak9Kin Yeung Chak10Tai Hing Lam11Sai Yin Ho12School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaSchool of Nursing and Health Studies, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaSchool of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaSchool of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaSchool of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaSchool of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaDepartment of Epidemiology, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, United StatesSchool of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaSchool of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaSchool of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaSchool of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaSchool of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaSchool of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, ChinaBackgroundMask-wearing in outdoor public places in Hong Kong was mandated on 29 July 2020, amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to evaluate the impact of mandatory masking with no exemption for smoking on outdoor smoking.MethodsWe conducted 253 unobtrusive observations at 10 outdoor smoking hotspots in 33 months from July 2019 to March 2022 and counted smokers and non-smoking pedestrians in fixed boundaries. We conducted interrupted time-series analyses on the monthly mean volume of smokers (persons per hour) using generalized linear models. The independent variables were as follows: time since the first observation, implementation of the mask regulation, time since the regulation, seasonality, and waves 1–5 outbreaks. We checked the robustness of the association using the daily mean volume of smokers as the dependent variable. Two sensitivity analyses were conducted to include the hotspot location or the number of all pedestrians as an offset.ResultsMonthly outdoor smoking decreased immediately after the regulation (incidence rate ratio [IRR]: 0.505, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.374 to 0.680, P < 0.001). Daily smoking analysis and the two sensitivity analyses supported the results. However, monthly outdoor smoking increased by 11% since the regulation (IRR: 1.110, 95% CI: 1.074 to 1.147, P < 0.001). An exception was observed at the most severe wave 5 outbreak when monthly outdoor smoking decreased (IRR: 0.415, 95% CI: 0.327 to 0.525, P < 0.001).ConclusionOutdoor smoking fell immediately after mandatory masking, rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, and decreased again at the most severe wave 5.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1136621/fullCOVID-19face maskmandatory maskingsmokingobservational |
| spellingShingle | Yuying Sun Yuying Sun Yongda Socrates Wu Yee Tak Derek Cheung Man Ping Wang Jianjiu Chen Jianjiu Chen Lok Tung Leung Xiaoyu Zhang Kin Yeung Chak Kin Yeung Chak Tai Hing Lam Sai Yin Ho Impact of mandatory masking amid the COVID-19 pandemic on outdoor smoking: an interrupted time-series analysis of a 33-month unobtrusive observational study Frontiers in Public Health COVID-19 face mask mandatory masking smoking observational |
| title | Impact of mandatory masking amid the COVID-19 pandemic on outdoor smoking: an interrupted time-series analysis of a 33-month unobtrusive observational study |
| title_full | Impact of mandatory masking amid the COVID-19 pandemic on outdoor smoking: an interrupted time-series analysis of a 33-month unobtrusive observational study |
| title_fullStr | Impact of mandatory masking amid the COVID-19 pandemic on outdoor smoking: an interrupted time-series analysis of a 33-month unobtrusive observational study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of mandatory masking amid the COVID-19 pandemic on outdoor smoking: an interrupted time-series analysis of a 33-month unobtrusive observational study |
| title_short | Impact of mandatory masking amid the COVID-19 pandemic on outdoor smoking: an interrupted time-series analysis of a 33-month unobtrusive observational study |
| title_sort | impact of mandatory masking amid the covid 19 pandemic on outdoor smoking an interrupted time series analysis of a 33 month unobtrusive observational study |
| topic | COVID-19 face mask mandatory masking smoking observational |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1136621/full |
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