Factors associated with increased cigarette consumption in the Brazilian population during the COVID-19 pandemic

Hours of sleep and associated factors in college students during the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND

Sleep alterations are common in college students, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sociodemographic factors may predict these alterations in this population.

OBJECTIVE

To identify the sociodemographic factors and health characteristics associated with the number of hours of sleep of college students during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study carried out with 244 university students from a multicampi public university in the State of Bahia, Northeast Brazil. Data collection was performed online and participants answered a specific questionnaire to assess sleep hours, sociodemographic and health variables.

RESULTS

Significant associations were observed between hours of sleep and older students (odds ratio adjusted -ORaj: 3.75; 95% Confidence Interval -CI: 1.81-7.75; p < 0.01), attending the final semesters (ORaj: 1.85; 95% CI: 1.05-3.25; p < 0.03), and who reported having some disease (ORaj: 2.18; 95% CI: 1.05-4.50; p < 0.03) with greater chances of getting less sleep. However, those who used tobacco (ORaj: 0.08; 95% CI: 0.01-0.45; p < 0.001) were likely to have more hours of sleep per night.

CONCLUSION

Sleep restriction was common among participating college students, which has likely intensified due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its restrictions. This encourages specific public health actions, contemplating the health and hours of sleep of this population.

Situational analysis of the smoking cessation program in a Brazilian capital during the COVID-19 pandemic

Smoking is a public health problem associated with high morbimortality. Smoking cessation services, although effective, have limited reach and have been compromised by the pandemic. This study aimed to analyze the care for smokers in João Pessoa (PB), Brazil, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A descriptive, exploratory, and quantitative study was conducted in two phases: a survey of health indicators and an evaluation of sociodemographic profiles of professionals and service clients during the study years. Seven professionals, smoking group coordinators, and 20 clients participated in the research. The results showed low program coverage, with a declining number of smokers treated during the pandemic, down from 419 in 2019 to 129 in 2020. Interviews identified the program's positive aspects and limitations, good effectiveness, and low access, especially in primary health care. Tobacco consumption and risk reduction strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic originated from services and professionals involved. We can conclude that the National Tobacco Control Program has an incipient implementation in primary health care in this region and that the number of services offered was reduced during the pandemic, decreasing demand and actions.

Accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation in smoking cessation: No differences between active and placebo stimulation when using advanced placebo coil technology. A double-blind follow-up study

Objective

This study aims to investigate the longer-term effects of accelerated intermittent theta burst stimulation (aiTBS) in smoking cessation and to examine whether there is a difference in outcome between active and placebo stimulation. The present study constitutes an ancillary study from a main Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) evaluating the acute effects of aiTBS in smoking reduction.

Method

A double-blind randomized control trial was conducted where 89 participants were randomly allocated to three groups (transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)&N group: active aiTBS stimulation combined with neutral videos; TMS&S group: active aiTBS stimulation combined with smoking-related videos; Placebo group: placebo stimulation combined with smoking-related videos). Nicotine dependence, tobacco craving, perceived stress and motivation to quit smoking were measured after completion of 20 aiTBS sessions and during various follow ups (post one week, post one month and post six months).

Results

Our results show that the positive effect on nicotine dependence and tobacco craving that occurred at the end of treatment lasts at least one month post treatment. This effect seems to dissipate six months post treatment. No significant differences were found between the three groups.

Conclusion

Both active and placebo stimulation were equally effective in reducing nicotine dependence and tobacco craving up to one month after the end of treatment.

Insomnia Severity Mediates the Association between COVID-19 Related Anxiety and Increase in Tobacco Smoking During the COVID-19 Pandemic among Adults

OBJECTIVES

Examining the associations of COVID-19 related anxiety and insomnia with increased smoking following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and investigating whether increased insomnia severity mediates the association between COVID-19 related anxiety and increased smoking.

METHODS

598 participants, aged 18-40, out of whom 140 self-identified as smokers, completed online questionnaires during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Measures included two items assessing COVID-19 related anxiety, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Insomnia Severity Index, which included a pre-pandemic retrospective report.

RESULTS

Compared with nonsmokers, smokers reported lower sleep quality and more severe symptoms of insomnia. Among smokers, more severe symptoms of insomnia were associated with greater odds of increased smoking during the COVID-19 outbreak. COVID-19 related anxiety was indirectly associated with greater odds of increased smoking through greater insomnia severity during the COVID-19 outbreak, after controlling for pre-pandemic levels of insomnia.

CONCLUSIONS

Smokers experienced more sleep difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic than nonsmokers. The results also lend support to the suggestion that anxiety, such that was experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, may lead to further exacerbation of sleep difficulties, leading in turn to increase in smoking. These findings have important clinical implications that may be particularly relevant to attempts to minimize smoking during stressful circumstances.

Publicidade e Venda de Produtos de Tabaco em Plataformas Digitais de Delivery

Introdução: Com a pandemia do vírus Sars-CoV-2 no Brasil, a comercialização de produtos on-line cresceu significativamente por meio de plataformas digitais de delivery de produtos de diversos gêneros. Estudos mostram que as medidas de isolamento social acarretaram efeitos no comportamento e sobre a saúde dos indivíduos, incluindo o aumento do tabagismo. Objetivo: Avaliar as ocorrências e características da venda e publicidade de produtos de tabaco e de dispositivos eletrônicos para fumar, realizadas por lojas físicas, por meio de três plataformas digitais que atuam no Estado do Rio de Janeiro, entre fevereiro e junho de 2021. Método: As buscas nas plataformas simularam a jornada de compra de um consumidor por intermédio de uma rede social. Os pontos de venda foram georreferenciados a partir de centros de regiões administrativas do município ou de um ponto central nas demais cidades do Estado. Os resultados do georreferenciamento foram cruzados com indicadores sociais para caracterizar o público consumidor. Além disso, os preços de venda foram comparados com as informações da Secretaria de Receita Federal. Resultados: Os resultados indicam a prática de venda ilegal desses produtos nas plataformas digitais pesquisadas. Em regiões com padrões socioeconômicos mais altos, foi identificado um maior número de pontos de venda físicos que aderiram aos serviços das plataformas de delivery. Os valores praticados nessa modalidade foram 83% superiores aos estabelecidos pela Receita Federal. Conclusão: O estudo revela a necessidade de uma revisão das ações dos órgãos de fiscalização para o controle das novas modalidades de venda de produtos de tabaco.

Smoking patterns during COVID-19: Evidence from Serbia

INTRODUCTION

Recent research shows that in many countries, smokers who increased smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic outnumbered those who decreased it, despite higher exposure to COVID-19 severity and death. In this study, we compared changes in smoking behavior in the initial and later stages of the pandemic and factors associated with lower smoking intensity.

METHODS

We conducted two survey rounds on representative samples, the first in the initial stage of the pandemic (11–19 May 2020) and the second in the latter stage (4–11 June 2021), in Serbia. Multinomial logistic regression was run to estimate associations between smokers’ characteristics and lower smoking intensity. In contrast to most studies that assess psychological factors affecting smoking in the pandemic, we focused on factual determinants of the change in smoking intensity.

RESULTS

The share of smokers who claimed to smoke more increased significantly, from 22.7% in May 2020 to 35.2% in June 2021. The share of smokers who reported a decrease in smoking only slightly increased, from 11.7% to 13.3%. The persistence of the pandemic considerably increased intentions to cease smoking, from 26.3% to 40%. Higher education (adjusted odds ratio, AOR=2.11; 95% CI: 1.08–4.13), income fall (AOR=2.14; 95% CI: 1.11–4.11), occasional smoking (AOR=4.24; 95% CI: 2.26–7.96) and recovery from COVID-19 (AOR=2.38; 95% CI: 1.23–4.60) increased the odds to reduce smoking during the pandemic.

CONCLUSIONS

Most smokers are unaware that consuming tobacco products increases exposure to health risks related to COVID-19, but those who get coronavirus infected tend to reduce smoking. This research highlights that tobacco control policy needs to be more proactive in creating public campaigns which demonstrate the severity of COVID-19 impact on smokers’ health. Such campaigns should mainly target those groups of smokers who are less able to curb their smoking intensity.

Alcohol Consumption and Smoking During Covid-19 Pandemic: Association with Sociodemographic, Behavioral, and Mental Health Characteristics

The Covid-19 pandemic is related to increased alcohol consumption and smoking. These behaviors may be related to several sociodemographic, behavioral and mental health factors. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the association between alcohol consumption and cigarette smoking with sociodemographic, behavioral and mental health characteristics. This study used data from two population-based studies conducted in two cities from Southern Brazil amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Individuals aged 18 years or older were included and selected using a multistage sampling procedure. Alcohol consumption and smoking and changes in such consumption during the Covid-19 pandemic were evaluated. Sociodemographic, behavioral, pandemic-related, and mental health variables were also included. A hierarchical model was used to conduct the adjusted analyses, and Poisson regression with robust adjustment was used for variance. A total of 2170 individuals were studied. The prevalence of alcohol consumption and smoking were 9.3% and 14.2%, respectively. The rates of increase in alcohol consumption and smoking during the Covid-pandemic were about 20% and 30%, respectively. They were higher among those with depressive symptoms, feeling of sadness and self-reported stress. Those with poor diet quality had higher prevalence of alcohol consumption (PR: 1.82) and were 1.58 times more likely to smoke. The findings may help stakeholders in health and political systems to better understand the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic and develop strategies to mitigate these consequences in Brazil and elsewhere.

Gender and the COVID-19 pandemic: a review of the Brazilian scientific production in health sciences

ABSTRACT This paper analyzes the Brazilian scientific production in health sciences, which incorporates gender issues into the COVID-19 pandemic studies. We searched for publications in the bibliographic health databases; their results were categorized into thematic axes and then analyzed. Our work does not only aim to characterize how gender asymmetry is addressed in health sciences but also acknowledges the repercussions of the pandemic pointed out on women’s health. Women suffered severely from increased unemployment, domestic overload, partner violence, emotional disorders, and their quality of life, showing that political actions to fight the pandemic, when not inspected through the lens of gender inequalities, potentially prompt more significant vulnerabilities for groups already vulnerable before the health crisis, such as women, notably when racialized and poor, which also includes proper professional qualification of the primary care network and health professionals with regards to gender approaches, as noted in the literature reviewed.

Gênero e a pandemia Covid-19: revisão da produção científica nas ciências da saúde no Brasil

RESUMO Este artigo analisou a produção científica brasileira do campo das ciências da saúde que incorpora questões de gênero aos estudos sobre a pandemia da Covid-19. A busca pelas publicações foi realizada nas bases bibliográficas da área da saúde; seus resultados foram categorizados em eixos temáticos e, em seguida, analisados. Busca-se não apenas caracterizar como a assimetria de gênero é tratada no campo das ciências da saúde, mas também apreender as repercussões da pandemia apontadas sobre a saúde das mulheres. Elas sofreram duramente com aumento do desemprego, da sobrecarga doméstica, da violência pelos parceiros, dos transtornos emocionais e de sua qualidade de vida mostrando que as ações políticas para o enfrentamento da pandemia, quando não pensadas sob as lentes das desigualdades de gênero, são potencialmente produtoras de maiores vulnerabilidades para grupos já vulneráveis antes da crise sanitária, como é o caso das mulheres, especialmente quando negras, pobres e idosas. Isso inclui a devida qualificação profissional da rede de assistência básica e dos profissionais de saúde no que tange à abordagem de gênero, como notou a literatura aqui revisada.