Quit Experiences among Primary Care Patients Enrolled in a Smoking Cessation Pilot RCT Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Andrea A. Joyce, Grace M. Styklunas, Nancy A. Rigotti, Jordan M. Neil, Elyse R. Park and Gina R. Kruse
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Andrea A. Joyce: Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Grace M. Styklunas: Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Nancy A. Rigotti: Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Jordan M. Neil: Tobacco Research and Treatment Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Elyse R. Park: Tobacco Research and Treatment Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA
Gina R. Kruse: Division of General Internal Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 3, 1-12

Abstract: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on US adults’ smoking and quitting behaviors is unclear. We explored the impact of COVID-19 on smoking behaviors, risk perceptions, and reactions to text messages during a statewide stay-at-home advisory among primary care patients who were trying to quit. From May–June 2020, we interviewed smokers enrolled in a 12-week, pilot cessation trial providing text messaging and mailed nicotine replacement medication (NCT04020718). Twenty-two individuals (82% white, mean age 55 years), representing 88% of trial participants during the stay-at-home advisory, completed exit interviews; four (18%) of them reported abstinence. Interviews were thematically analyzed by two coders. COVID-19-induced environmental changes had mixed effects, facilitating quitting for some and impeding quitting for others. While stress increased for many, those who quit found ways to cope with stress. Generally, participants felt at risk for COVID-19 complications but not at increased risk of becoming infected. Reactions to COVID-19 and quitting behaviors differed across age groups, older participants reported difficulties coping with isolation (e.g., feeling disappointed when a text message came from the study and not a live person). Findings suggest that cessation interventions addressing stress and boredom are needed during COVID-19, while smokers experiencing isolation may benefit from live-person supports.

Keywords: nicotine; COVID-19; risk perceptions; smoking cessation; tobacco use (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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