Tobacco quit intentions and behaviors among cigar smokers in the united states in response to covid-19

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  • Kowitt, S.D.
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine
  • Ross, J.C.
    • Other Affiliation: Wake Forest School of Medicine
  • Jarman, K.L.
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine
  • Kistler, C.E.
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine
  • Lazard, A.J.
    • Affiliation: N.C. Cancer Hospital, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Ranney, L.M.
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine
  • Sheeran, P.
    • Affiliation: N.C. Cancer Hospital, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
  • Thrasher, J.F.
    • Other Affiliation: University of South Carolina
  • Goldstein, A.O.
    • Affiliation: School of Medicine, Department of Family Medicine
Abstract
  • Combustible tobacco users appear to be at greater risk for serious complications from COVID-19. This study examined cigar smokers’ perceived risk of COVID-19, quit intentions, and behaviors during the current pandemic. We conducted an online study between 23 April 2020 to 7 May 2020, as part of an ongoing study examining perceptions of different health effects of cigars. All participants used cigars in the past 30 days (n = 777). Three-quarters of the sample (76.0%) perceived they had a higher risk of complications from COVID-19 compared to non-smokers. The majority of participants (70.8%) intended to quit in the next six months due to COVID-19, and almost half of the sample (46.5%) reported making a quit attempt since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Far more participants reported increasing their tobacco use since COVID-19 started (40.9%) vs. decreasing their tobacco use (17.8%). Black or African American participants, participants who reported using a quitline, and participants with higher COVID-19 risk perceptions had higher intentions to quit using tobacco due to COVID-19, and higher odds of making a quit attempt since COVID-19 started. More research is needed to understand how tobacco users are perceiving COVID-19 risks and changing their tobacco use behaviors.
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  • Article
Rights statement
  • In Copyright
License
  • Attribution 3.0 United States
Journal title
  • International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Journal volume
  • 17
Journal issue
  • 15
Page start
  • 1
Page end
  • 14
Language
  • English
ISSN
  • 1661-7827
Publisher
  • MDPI AG

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