Tobacco consumption behavior change during the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with perceived COVID threat.

Rationale: Tobacco use is a risk factor for COVID-19 adverse outcomes. Despite health implications, data conflict regarding COVID-19 and tobacco consumption. We present results from a survey of health behaviors during the pandemic to identify how COVID-19 influenced tobacco behaviors.

Methods: A nationally administered, internet-based survey was deployed between May-September 2020. Of respondents, we analyzed participants who reported current smoking and/or vaping. Our primary outcome of interest was change in tobacco or vape use using measures from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, as well as whether participants reported that these changes were related to COVID-19. Our principal exposures were previously psychometrically evaluated measures of anxiety, depression, and novel perceived COVID-19 threat scale with additional adjustment for age. We employed multinomial logistic regression to determine associations between these factors and tobacco consumption.

Results: We identified 500 respondents who reported ever smoking in their lifetime, 150 of which reported currently smoking at the time of the survey. Of 220 participants who reported any use of vapes, 110 reported currently vaping. Increased perceived threat of COVID-19 was associated with both increased (aRR 1.75, 95% CI [1.07-2.86], P = 0.03) and decreased (aRR 1.72 [1.04-2.85], P = 0.03) tobacco consumption relative to no change. There were no significant relationships found between perceived threat of COVID-19 and vaping behavior.

Conclusions: As perceived COVID-19 threat increased, people were more likely to increase or decrease their smoking as opposed to continue at the same amount of use, even after controlling for anxiety and depression, both of which are known to affect smoking in either direction. Further study into motivators of changing tobacco consumption behaviors, and how barriers to care from safer-at-home policies and changes in care delivery moderate change in tobacco use will aid planning tobacco reduction interventions during the ongoing and future respiratory viral pandemics.

Trial Registration: This manuscript is derived from baseline survey data obtained in the "Understanding Community Considerations, Opinions, Values, Impacts, and Decisions in COVID-19" study.

Clinicaltrials: gov registration NCT04373135, registered 04/30/2020.