Changes in Smoking Status and Behaviors After the First 10 Months of COVID-19 Pandemic in Indonesia

Examining the impact of urban compactness on work and social life disruption during COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from Jakarta, Indonesia

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit urban areas particularly hard, yet there is a lack of research on the hypothesis that living in more compact cities can provide better support for work and social conditions during the pandemic. This study addresses this gap by examining whether city compactness can mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic on the work and social life of urban residents in Jakarta, Indonesia. The study uses a household phone survey combined with publicly available urban form data. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regression, supplemented with a matching technique to address potential selection bias, is employed. The results suggest that living in more compact locations can reduce the disruption to work and social life associated with COVID-19 in urban communities. This positive effect is particularly experienced by males, non-migrants, and individuals from wealthy families.

Factors affecting tobacco, nicotine, and cannabis product use among California young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative study

The effects of COVID-19 on tobacco use and cannabis has been variable, and it is unclear the extent to which factors affecting changes in tobacco and cannabis use differ. The purpose of this study was to identify the COVID-19-related factors that affect changes in tobacco and cannabis use during the pandemic. Focus groups with 114 young adults in California in April 2021 were held to discuss tobacco and cannabis use patterns, adverse events, and the effect of COVID-19 on tobacco and cannabis product use. Factors affecting changes in use were largely similar between tobacco products and cannabis products. Drivers of increased cannabis use distinct from tobacco or nicotine product use included feeling greater freedom to disengage and perceptions of less harm. Increases in product use were a result of changing social environment, coping with emotional and psychological distress, and product related factors. Decreases in product use were a result of social isolation, COVID-19-related health concerns, disruptions in daily patterns of living, and reduced access. Improved understanding of how the pandemic has affected tobacco and cannabis use can inform tailored interventions to both support those who have decreases or quit and assist those who have increased use during the pandemic to reduce or cease their consumption.