Evaluation of the Factors Affecting the Smoking Habit and Fear of COVID-19 Among Faculty of Medicine Students

Year 2023, Volume: 7 Issue: 1, 51 - 56, 28.04.2023

Ayşegül Tomruk Erdem Ahmet Hazar Büyükakpınar Kübra Özaydın Semih Erol Enes Karataş Sinem Edinç Zeynep Aşık İlayda Başoğlu Zeynep Kuru Veli Mert Büyükdumlu Ece Tuna Kadriye Tabak Ayşe Beril Alay Farice Beyza Demirel

https://doi.org/10.29058/mjwbs.1143866

Abstract

Aim: Our aim in the study is to determine the factors affecting cigarette consumption in medical school students during the COVID-19
pandemic and its relationship with the fear of COVID-19.
Material and Methods: The study was designed as cross-sectional and descriptive, and 293 students studying at Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit
University Faculty of Medicine participated in the study. Questionnaires prepared for the students were delivered electronically, and those
who volunteered participated in the study. In the questionnaire, students’ sociodemographic characteristics, smoking habits were questioned,
Fagerström nicotine addiction test and COVID-19 Fear Scale were used.
Results: 70.6% of the students included in the study were women. The mean age was 21.38±04 years. The rate of current smokers
was 17.7% (n=52). It was learned that 7.1% (n=15) of the participants who had never smoked before thought to start smoking during the
pandemic. 64.5% (n=20) of the participants who had quit smoking made this decision during the pandemic. Of those who quit smoking,
54.5% (n=12) quit smoking due to existing health problems and anxiety about getting sick, and 74.2% (n=23) were not considering smoking
again. The rate of participants who continued to smoke and had low addiction level was 69.2% (n=36). While there was no change in
the amount of consumption in 38.4% (n=20) of the participants who smoked during the pandemic, it was observed that there was a
decrease in consumption in 34.6% (n=18) and an increase in consumption in 27% (n=14). It was determined that the news, public service
announcements and smoking ban did not play a role in the change in cigarette consumption. It was determined that smokers and those who
had COVID-19 disease did not change their ideas about smoking. The mean COVID-19 fear score of the participants was 18.71±4.91 and
the fear level was determined as moderate. The level of fear of COVID-19 was statistically significantly higher in female participants than in
male participants (p=0.001). There was no statistically significant difference between the COVID-19 fear level and smoking characteristics
and other sociodemographic characteristics (p>0.05).
Conclusion: The level of fear of COVID-19 was found to be moderate in the participants, and it was higher in female participants. The
majority of students who had quit smoking made this decision during the pandemic. It has been determined that news, public service
announcements, smoking ban, and having COVID-19 do not cause any change in consumption among smokers

Keywords

COVID-19, Fear, Student, Smoking

Tıp Fakültesi Öğrencilerinde COVID-19 Korkusu ve Sigara Kullanımını Etkileyen Faktörlerin Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Amaç: Çalışmada amacımız COVID-19 pandemisi sırasında tıp fakültesinde öğrenim gören öğrencilerde
sigara tüketimini etkileyen faktörleri ve bunun COVID-19 korkusu ile ilişkisini belirlemektir.
Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çalışma kesitsel ve tanımlayıcı tipte dizayn edilmiş olup, çalışmaya Zonguldak
Bülent Ecevit Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesinde öğrenim gören 293 öğrenci katıldı. Öğrencilere hazırlanan
anketler elektronik ortamda iletildi, çalışmaya gönüllü olanlar katıldı. Anket formunda öğrencilerin
sosyodemografik özellikleri, sigara alışkanlıkları sorgulandı, Fagerström nikotin bağımlılık testi ve
COVID-19 Korku Ölçeği kullanıldı.
Bulgular: Çalışmaya dahil olan öğrencilerin %70.6’sı kadın idi. Yaş ortalaması 21.38±04 saptandı. Halen
sigara içen katılımcı oranı %17.7 (n=52) idi. Daha önce hiç sigara içmemiş katılımcıların %7.1’inin
(n=15) pandemi sırasında sigaraya başlamayı düşündüğü öğrenildi. Sigarayı bırakmış katılımcıların
%64.5’i (n=20) pandemi sırasında bu kararı almıştı. Sigarayı bırakanların %54.5’i (n=12) mevcut sağlık
sorunları ve hastalanma kaygısı nedeniyle sigara içmeyi bırakmış ve %74.2’si (n=23) tekrar sigara
içmeyi düşünmemekteydi. Sigara içmeye devam eden ve düşük bağımlılık düzeyine sahip katılımcı
oranı %69.2 (n=36) idi. Pandemi sırasında sigara içen katılımcıların %38.4’ünde (n=20) tüketim miktarında
değişiklik olmazken, %34.6’sında (n=18) tüketimde azalma, %27’sinde (n=14) ise tüketimde
artış olduğu görüldü. Sigara tüketiminin değişmesinde haberlerin, kamu spotlarının, sigara yasağının
rol almadığı belirlendi. Sigara içen ve COVID-19 hastalığı geçirenlerin de sigara ile ilgili fikirlerinde
değişiklik olmadığı belirlendi. Katılımcıların COVID-19 korku puanı ortalaması 18.71± 4.91 olup, korku
düzeyi orta seviyede olarak belirlendi. COVID-19 korku düzeyi kadın katılımcılarda erkek katılımcılara
göre istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeyde yüksekti (p=0.001). COVID-19 korku düzeyinin sigara kullanım
özellikleri ve diğer sosyodemografik özellikler ile arasında istatistiksel anlamlı fark bulunmadı (p>0.05).
Sonuç: Katılımcılarda COVID-19 korku düzeyi orta seviyede saptanmış olup, kadın katılımcılarda
daha yüksekti. Sigarayı bırakmış olan öğrencilerin çoğunluğu pandemi sırasında bu kararı vermişti.
Haberlerin, kamu spotlarının, sigara yasağının, COVID-19 geçirmenin sigara içen katılımcılarda
tüketimde değişikliğe yol açmadığı belirlendi.

Keywords

COVID-19, Korku, Sigara kullanımı, Öğrenci

References

• 1. World Health Organisation. WHO Director-General’s Opening Remarks at the Media Briefing on COVID-19—11 March 2020. Available online: https://www.who.int/director-general/ speeches/detail/who-director-general-s-opening-remarks-atthemedia- briefing-on-covid-19---11-march-2020 (Erişim tarihi: 3 Mayıs 2021).
• 2. Elmer T, Mepham K, Stadtfeld C. Students under lockdown: Comparisons of students’ social networks and mental health before and during the COVID-19 crisis in Switzerland. PLoS One 2020;15(7):e0236337.
• 3. Dumas TM, Ellis W, Litt DM. What does adolescent substance use look like during the COVID-19 pandemic? Examining changes in frequency, social contexts, and pandemic-related predictors. J Adolesc Health 2020;67(3):354-361.
• 4. Kaper MS, Reijneveld SA, van Es FD, de Zeeuw J, Almansa J, Koot JAR, de Winter AF. Effectiveness of a comprehensive health literacy consultation skills training for undergraduate medical students: A randomized controlled trial. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2019;17(1):81.
• 5. Ali NK, Ferguson RP, Mitha S, Hanlon A. Do medical trainees feel confident communicating with low health literacy patients? J Community Hosp Intern Med Perspect 2014;4(2).
• 6. Pham T, Bui L, Nguyen A, Nguyen B, Tran P, Vu P, Dang L. The prevalence of depression and associated risk factors among medical students: An untold story in Vietnam. PLoS One 2019;14(8):e0221432.
• 7. Goyal K, Chauhan P, Chhikara K, Gupta P, Singh MP. Fear of COVID 2019: First suicidal case in India! Asian J Psychiatr 2020;49:101989.
• 8. Xiang YT, Yang Y, Li W, Zhang L, Zhang Q, Cheung T, Ng CH. Timely mental health care for the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak is urgently needed. Lancet Psychiatry 2020;7(3):228- 229.
• 9. Duan L, Zhu G. Psychological interventions for people affected by the COVID-19 epidemic. Lancet Psychiatry 2020;7(4):300- 302.
• 10. Uysal MA, Kadakal F, Karşidağ C, Bayram NG, Uysal O, Yilmaz V. Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence: Reliability in a Turkish sample and factor analysis. Tuberk Toraks 2004;52(2):115-121.
• 11. Ladikli N, Bahadır E, Yumuşak FN, Akkuzu H, Karaman G, Türkkan Z. Kovid-19 korkusu ölçeği’nin Türkçe güvenirlik ve geçerlik çalışması. International Journal of Social Science 2020;3:71-80.
• 12. Grogan S, Walker L, McChesney G, Gee I, Gough B, Cordero MI. How has COVID-19 lockdown impacted smoking? A thematic analysis of written accounts from UK smokers. Psychol Health 2022;37(1):17-33.
• 13. Carreras G, Lugo A, Stival C, Amerio A, Odone A, Pacifici R, Gallus S, Gorini G. Impact of COVID-19 lockdown on smoking consumption in a large representative sample of Italian adults. Tob Control 2022;31(5):615-622.
• 14. Jackson SE, Garnett C, Shahab L, Oldham M, Brown J. Association of the COVID-19 lockdown with smoking, drinking and attempts to quit in England: An analysis of 2019-20 data. Addiction 2021;116(5):1233-1244.
• 15. Stanton R, To QG, Khalesi S, Williams SL, Alley SJ, Thwaite TL, Fenning AS, Vandelanotte C. Depression, anxiety and stress during COVID-19: Associations with changes in physical activity, sleep, tobacco and alcohol use in Australian adults. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020;17(11):4065.
• 16. Rolland B, Haesebaert F, Zante E, Benyamina A, Haesebaert J, Franck N. Global changes and factors of increase in caloric/salty food intake, screen use, and substance use during the early COVID-19 containment phase in the general population in France: Survey study. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2020;6(3):e19630.
• 17. Busse H, Buck C, Stock C, Zeeb H, Pischke CR, Fialho PMM, Wendt C, Helmer SM. Engagement in health risk behaviours before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in German University students: Results of a cross-sectional study. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021;18(4):1410.
• 18. Nguyen HT, Do BN, Pham KM, Kim GB, Dam HTB, Nguyen TT, Nguyen TTP, Nguyen YH, Sørensen K, Pleasant A, Duong TV. Fear of COVID-19 scale-associations of its scores with health literacy and health-related behaviors among medical students. Int J Environ Res Public Health 2020;17(11):4164.
• 19. Harkness KL, Alavi N, Monroe SM, Slavich GM, Gotlib IH, Bagby RM. Gender differences in life events prior to onset of major depressive disorder: The moderating effect of age. J Abnorm Psychol 2010;119(4):791-803.
• 20. Conklin AI, Guo SX, Tam AC, Richardson CG. Gender, stressful life events and interactions with sleep: A systematic review of determinants of adiposity in young people. BMJ Open 2018;8(7):e019982.
• 21. The Lancet. The gendered dimensions of COVID-19. Lancet 2020;395(10231):1168.