Bommele Jeroen, Hopman Petra, Walters Bethany Hipple, Geboers Cloé, Croes Esther, Fong Geoffrey T, Quah Anne C K, Willemsen Marc
The Netherlands Expertise Centre for Tobacco Control, Trimbos Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Tobacco Research and Treatment Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, United States.
Tob Induc Dis. 2020 Jul 27;18:63. doi: 10.18332/tid/125580. eCollection 2020.
Although recent research shows that smokers respond differently to the COVID-19 pandemic, it offers little explanation of why some have increased their smoking, while others decreased it. In this study, we examined a possible explanation for these different responses: pandemic-related stress.
We conducted an online survey among a representative sample of Dutch current smokers from 11-18 May 2020 (n=957). During that period, COVID-19 was six weeks past the (initial) peak of cases and deaths in the Netherlands. Included in the survey were measures of how the COVID-19 pandemic had changed their smoking, if at all (no change, increased smoking, decreased smoking), and a measure of stress due to COVID-19.
Overall, while 14.1% of smokers reported smoking less due to the COVID-19 pandemic, 18.9% of smokers reported smoking more. A multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that there was a dose-response effect of stress: smokers who were somewhat stressed were more likely to have either increased (OR=2.37; 95% CI: 1.49-3.78) or reduced (OR=1.80; 95% CI: 1.07-3.05) their smoking. Severely stressed smokers were even more likely to have either increased (OR=3.75; 95% CI: 1.84-7.64) or reduced (OR=3.97; 95% CI: 1.70-9.28) their smoking. Thus, stress was associated with both increased and reduced smoking, independently from perceived difficulty of quitting and level of motivation to quit.
Stress related to the COVID-19 pandemic appears to affect smokers in different ways, some smokers increase their smoking while others decrease it. While boredom and restrictions in movement might have stimulated smoking, the threat of contracting COVID-19 and becoming severely ill might have motivated others to improve their health by quitting smoking. These data highlight the importance of providing greater resources for cessation services and the importance of creating public campaigns to enhance cessation in this dramatic time.
尽管最近的研究表明吸烟者对新冠疫情的反应各不相同，但对于为何有些人吸烟增加而有些人吸烟减少，该研究几乎未作解释。在本研究中，我们探究了这些不同反应的一种可能解释：与疫情相关的压力。
我们于2020年5月11日至18日对荷兰现吸烟者的代表性样本进行了一项在线调查（n = 957）。在此期间，新冠疫情在荷兰已过病例和死亡（最初）峰值六周。调查内容包括新冠疫情如何改变了他们的吸烟情况（若有改变的话）（无变化、吸烟增加、吸烟减少），以及一项关于新冠疫情导致的压力的测量。
总体而言，虽然14.1%的吸烟者报告因新冠疫情吸烟减少，但18.9%的吸烟者报告吸烟增加。多项逻辑回归分析显示存在压力的剂量反应效应：有些压力的吸烟者更有可能增加（比值比=2.37；95%置信区间：1.49 - 3.78）或减少（比值比=1.80；95%置信区间：1.07 - 3.05）吸烟量。压力严重的吸烟者甚至更有可能增加（比值比=3.75；95%置信区间：1.84 - 7.64）或减少（比值比=3.97；95%置信区间：1.70 - 9.28）吸烟量。因此，压力与吸烟增加和减少均相关，与感知到的戒烟难度和戒烟动机水平无关。
与新冠疫情相关的压力似乎以不同方式影响吸烟者，一些吸烟者增加吸烟量而另一些吸烟者减少吸烟量。虽然无聊和行动限制可能刺激了吸烟，但感染新冠病毒并患上重病的威胁可能促使其他人通过戒烟来改善健康。这些数据凸显了在这一严峻时期为戒烟服务提供更多资源的重要性以及开展公共宣传活动以促进戒烟的重要性。
