The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on smoking cessation

Abstract

Purpose: In our study, we aimed to reveal the number of applications made to the smoking cessation clinic in our hospital, smoking cessation behavior and the relationship between this situation and the status of being diagnosed with COVID-19 in the nine months before and after March 11, 2020, when the first case with a diagnosis of COVID-19 was detected in our country. Method: Individuals over 18 who applied to the Ministry of Health Ordu University Training and Research Hospital smoking cessation outpatient clinic within nine months before (Group A) and after the COVID-19 pandemic (Group B) were included in our study. Age, gender, chronic diseases, Fagerström addiction scores, and treatment they received for smoking cessation were noted through the tobacco addiction treatment monitoring system (TÜBATİS), and their smoking status was questioned by reaching them three months after their application to us. In the first year of the pandemic, the patients in Group A were reached again and questioned whether they were diagnosed with COVID-19 (PCR positivity). Results: It was determined that there were 320 patients in Group A and 60 patients in Group B, and there was a statistically significant difference in age and smoking cessation behavior between the two groups (p