Nicotine Dependence among College Students Uninterested in Smoking Cessation during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey

Makoto Aoike, Yukihiro Mori, Yuka Aoyama, Mamoru Tanaka, Hana Kozai, Yukihiro Shigeno, Hatsumi Kawamura, Masato Tsurudome and Morihiro Ito ()
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Makoto Aoike: Graduate School of Life and Health Sciences, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai 487-8501, Aichi, Japan
Yukihiro Mori: Graduate School of Life and Health Sciences, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai 487-8501, Aichi, Japan
Yuka Aoyama: Graduate School of Life and Health Sciences, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai 487-8501, Aichi, Japan
Mamoru Tanaka: Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai 487-8501, Aichi, Japan
Hana Kozai: Department of Food and Nutritional Sciences, College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai 487-8501, Aichi, Japan
Yukihiro Shigeno: The Fire Department Headquarters in Kasugai-City, Kasugai 486-0856, Aichi, Japan
Hatsumi Kawamura: Graduate School of Life and Health Sciences, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai 487-8501, Aichi, Japan
Masato Tsurudome: Graduate School of Life and Health Sciences, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai 487-8501, Aichi, Japan
Morihiro Ito: Graduate School of Life and Health Sciences, Chubu University, 1200 Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai 487-8501, Aichi, Japan

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 6, 1-12

Abstract: This study investigated nicotine dependence among Japanese university students who had reached the smoking age (20 years or older) by the time of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and examined factors that encourage early smoking cessation. Social dependence on nicotine was evaluated using the Kano Total Social Nicotine Dependence Level (KTSND), and physiological dependence was evaluated using the Fagerström Nicotine Dependence Index (FTND). Of the 356 college students who smoked (4.4% of the total), 182 (51.1%) stated that they were not interested in quitting. Furthermore, 124 (68.1%) of those with no interest in quitting smoking were aware that smoking is a high-risk factor for COVID-19, and 58 (31.9%) were unaware. The group not aware of this risk had significantly higher KTSND scores than the group aware of it. The examination of cigarette type that indicated the users of non-conventional cigarette products and dual-user groups scored significantly higher than the cigarette group on FTND items. Overall, the smokers scored above the normal range for social nicotine dependence, suggesting the need to reduce nicotine dependence to encourage college students who continue to smoke to quit smoking.

Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic; nicotine dependence; KTSND; FTND; smoking students; college students (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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