The Consequences of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Smoking Behavior: Evidence from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing

Abstract

Introduction: Smoking is a risk factor for the progression of COVID-19, with smokers having higher odds of COVID-19 progression than never-smokers. This study presents novel findings on the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on smoking behavior in older adults. Methods: Panel data were obtained from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (N = 60160, 12% smokers, 55% women, 62% married, mean age = 67 years, 23% employed). Fixed-effect regression models were used to estimate the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic affected smoking behavior. A separate model was estimated for men, women, employed, and retired. Results: The findings suggest a significant and positive effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on smoking behavior (β = 0.024; P