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BMC Public Health
Published in: BMC Public Health 1/2024

Open Access 01-12-2024 | COVID-19 | Research

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

Authors: 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

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2024

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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.
Appendix
Available only for authorised users
Footnotes
1
In Norway, the common contact register is a system that contains the contact information of citizens and residents. The register is used by Norwegian public authorities to send messages and documents to individuals. The Norwegian Digitalization Agency is responsible for the contact information in the common contact register, which contains mobile phone numbers, postal addresses, and e-mail addresses.
 
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Metadata
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
Authors
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
Publication date
01-12-2024
Publisher
BioMed Central
Keyword
COVID-19
Published in
BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2024
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-17943-x

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