Preliminary Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Smoking and Vaping in College Students.
Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Posted by: Natalia Gromov
Sokolovsky
AW, Hertel AW, Micalizzi L, White HR, Hayes KL, Jackson KM.
Preliminary Impact of the
COVID-19 Pandemic on Smoking and Vaping in College Students.
Addict Behav. 2020 Dec 24;115:106783. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106783. Epub
ahead of print. PMID: 33360444.
We examined tobacco use changes in young adult college students in the context
of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on smoking and vaping. First, we evaluated
changes in tobacco use from pre to post campus closure focusing on smoking and
electronic nicotine vaping frequency (days) and quantity (cigarettes/cartridges
per day). Also, given the potential protective effects of pausing (temporarily
or permanently discontinuing) smoking or vaping, we evaluated its predictors.
We hypothesized that generalized anxiety and moving home would increase the
odds of pausing. We also explored effects of COVID-related news exposure and
seeking on tobacco use. We re-contacted young adults two years after they
completed a study on alcohol and marijuana co-use. A subset (N = 83; 26.6% of
the 312 respondents) were enrolled in college and reported use of cigarettes (n
= 35) and/or e-cigarettes (n = 69) in the week prior to their campus closing
(PC). Paired sample t-tests compared smoking and vaping frequency and quantity
PC to past-week use since closing (SC). Multivariate logistic regression models
were fit to examine predictors of pausing. Both smoking and vaping frequency
decreased from PC to SC; however, decreased frequency did not correspond to
reduced quantity. Twenty-four participants (28.9%) paused past-week use SC.
Higher anxiety and moving home (versus living independently) were related to
increased odds of pausing, whereas COVID-19 related news exposure and seeking
were related to decreased odds of pausing. Characterizing COVID-19 related
tobacco use change provides insights into how college students respond to novel
health threats and informs potential interventions.
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