Affiliation:
1. Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos para la Economía y la Empresa, Facultad de Ciencias Económicas, Universidad de Granada , Granada , Spain
Abstract
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 = 60160, 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
In this study, 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.
Funder
National Institute on Aging
National Institute for Health Research
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Subject
Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health
Cited by
4 articles.
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