Tobacco use pattern and quitting behaviour among healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic: Insights from a pan India online survey

Background: Healthcare professionals (HCPs) have a definite role in tobacco control and can help immensely by setting examples. The current study aimed to study the tobacco use pattern and quitting behaviour among HCPs of India during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: We addressed the research objective using a cross-sectional, anonymous online survey using 'google form" among 687 HCPs of India during December 2020. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed using SPSS.

Results: Overall, 32.6% of the HCPs were ever tobacco user while 23.4% and 16.9% were current and daily tobacco user. During the COVID-19 pandemic, 51.7% and 43.1% of HCPs cut down the frequency and amount of tobacco use respectively while for 24.1% COVID-19 pandemic exerted no effect on their tobacco use. Presence of vulnerable population at home [ adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 17.5 (95% confidence interval (CI): 3.3-92.2)], ever tobacco quit attempt [AOR: 13.5 (95% CI:2.7-67.7)] and history of COVID-19 disease [AOR: 5.1 (95% CI:1.3-20.7)] significantly determined reduced tobacco use (60.3%) during the pandemic. Similarly, reduced tobacco use during the pandemic [AOR: 4.8 (95% CI:1.7-13.5)] and perception of both smoking and smokeless tobacco form to be harmful for COVID-19 [AOR: 4.8 (95% CI:1.7-13.5)] were the independent correlates of tobacco quit attempt (50.0%) during the pandemic.

Conclusion: Tobacco use was quite rampant among the HCPs with every fourth and sixth being a current and daily tobacco user respectively. During the COVID-19 pandemic three in every five HCPs surveyed reduced tobacco use while every second HCP made a quit attempt.