COVID Concerns May Influence Quit Attempts

A study of 1,5000 Vietnamese adults who smoke show that both health and financial concerns connected to COVID-19 could increase motivation to quit smoking.  

When asked about COVID health-related concerns, 45 percent of participants who made a past-year quit attempt indicated that played a role. 30 percent of participants who made a past-year quit attempt indicated financial-related COVID-19 concerns as a reason to quit. Female and low-income survey participants had significantly higher odds of indicating COVID-19 financial concerns as a reason to quit. 

These survey results indicate that opportunities may exist to increase information available on both the health and financial risks related to smoking during a respiratory illness-based pandemic. This could enhance quit attempts, particularly for low-income and female Vietnamese adults who smoke.