THE EFFECT OF FEAR OF COVID-19 DISEASE ON SMOKING BEHAVIOR

Abstract

This study aimed to examine the effects of fear of COVID-19 disease on individuals' smoking behavior. Between April and July 2021, 384 patients who applied to family health centers in Kayseri Melikgazi district were administered a questionnaire, the fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) and the Fagerström Nicotine Dependence Test (FNDT). Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests were used to compare the groups, Spearman correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation of numerical data, chi-square tests were used to analyze categorical data. The median FCV-19S score of the group was 16.0 (min:7-max:35). During the pandemic, 79.1% of the participants had no change in their smoking status. The proportion of smokers who reduced the amount of cigarettes they smoked was higher in those who reported deaths in their circle of friends and relatives due to COVID-19 and in those with lower FNDT scores (p