The Consequences of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Smoking Behavior: Evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing
Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 2023.
Abstract
Introduction. Smoking is a risk factor for the progression of COVID-19, with smokers having higher odds of COVID-19 progression than never-smokers. This study presents novel findings on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on smoking behavior in older adults.
Methods. Panel data were obtained from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (N = 60,160; 12% smokers; 55% women; 62% married; mean age = 67 years; 23% employed). Fixed-effect regression models were used to estimate the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic affected smoking behavior. A separate model was estimated for men, women, employed, and retired.
Results. The findings suggest a significant and positive effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on smoking behavior (β = 0.024; P < .001). The estimated effects were stronger for men and for the sample of individuals reporting being employed.
Conclusions. I provide robust evidence of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on smoking behavior using the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. This large and representative dataset is uniquely suited for the analysis. I find evidence that the proportion of smokers has increased significantly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Implications. In the United Kingdom, the proportion of smokers increased significantly as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic. These findings suggest that smoking behavior may have been used as a mechanism to cope with depression, stress, and anxiety due to the COVID-19 outbreak. To the extent to which smoking behavior has been used as a coping mechanism to deal with job-related issues, targeted policy action to provide financial stability to those in worse economic situations may have beneficial effects on smoking behavior.
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