Association of social jetlag with cigarette smoking, smoking intensity, and quitting intentions among Korean workers.

Background: In modern urban environments, individuals consistently encounter artificial light exposure, which disrupts their biological rhythms. This phenomenon contributes to social jetlag, where individuals experience a misalignment between biological and social rhythms. We explored the association between social jetlag and smoking behaviors in workers.

Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study included Korean workers. Social jetlag was calculated as the difference in the mid-point between sleep onset and offset times on free days and workdays. Outcome variables were self-reported cigarette smoking status, cotinine-verified smoking intensity, and quitting intention among smokers. Urine cotinine-to-creatinine ratio was used to assess smoking intensity. Logistic regressions were used to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results: Among the sample, 12.0% had ≥120 min of social jetlag. Social jetlag of ≥120 min had a positive association with self-reported cigarette smoking (OR: 2.10, 95% CI: 1.73-2.55) and had a negative association with quitting intention (OR: 0.52, 95% CI: 0.29-0.90) compared with social jetlag of 0-59 min. Social jetlag of ≥120 min was associated with both low- (OR: 2.08, 95% CI: 1.57-2.75) and high-intensity smoking (OR: 2.35, 95% CI: 1.79-3.08).

Conclusion: Social jetlag is positively associated with cigarette smoking, smoking intensity, while negatively associated with quitting intentions among current smokers.