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Grogan, S, Walker, L, McChesney, G, Gee, I, Gough, B and Cordero, MI (2020) How has COVID-19 lockdown impacted smoking? A thematic analysis of written accounts from UK smokers. Psychology & Health. ISSN 0887-0446
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Smoking and Covid-19 Psychology and Health_Author Accepted Version.pdf - Accepted Version Download (317kB) | Preview |
Abstract
Objective. This study was designed to investigate UK smokers' accounts of impacts of COVID-19 on their smoking, to develop implications for supporting smoking cessation. Design. One hundred and thirty-two smokers aged 19-52 years (mean age 25 years), recruited through an advert distributed through social media and a dedicated Twitter page, completed an anonymous online questionnaire. Main Outcome Measures. Smokers produced written accounts of how COVID-19 had impacted their smoking. Responses were of unlimited length and completed online 22nd May-22nd June 2020 during UK COVID-19 lockdown. Results. Inductive thematic analysis generated three themes: i) increased smoking as a coping mechanism to deal with anxiety, boredom, stress, and anger in COVID-19 lockdown; ii) lockdown as enabling quitting through lifting social barriers and enabling a focus on health benefits; and iii) no change, avoiding Government/media COVID-19 information due to disbelief, lack of trust, and perceptions of bias. Conclusions. Results demonstrate a need for credible public health messaging on COVID-19 risk aimed at smokers. Implications for supporting smoking cessation are discussed, including maintaining quitting in those "social smokers" who quit during lockdown, and support on stress-management and emotion regulation in those who use smoking as a way to cope with stress, anger, and boredom.
| Item Type: | Article |
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| Additional Information: | This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Psychology & Health on 18/12/2020, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/08870446.2020.1862110 |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | 1302 Curriculum and Pedagogy, 1701 Psychology |
| Subjects: | R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine R Medicine > RA Public aspects of medicine > RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine > RA0440 Study and Teaching. Research |
| Divisions: | Public Health Institute |
| Publisher: | Taylor & Francis |
| Related URLs: | |
| Date Deposited: | 01 Feb 2021 10:15 |
| Last Modified: | 18 Dec 2021 00:50 |
| DOI or ID number: | 10.1080/08870446.2020.1862110 |
| URI: | https://researchonline.ljmu.ac.uk/id/eprint/14355 |
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