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COVID-19

COVID-19 Pandemic Affects Tobacco Use Behavior in Japan

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

A recent study conducted by the National Hospital Organization Kyoto Medical Center in Japan investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tobacco use behavior among Japanese individuals. The researchers found that the pandemic had a significant effect on tobacco use patterns, with more participants achieving cessation after 1 year in the pandemic group compared to the pre-pandemic group. The study also highlighted the differences in tobacco use patterns between conventional and novel tobacco products. The findings suggest that the pandemic may have altered smoking habits in Japan, with potential implications for public health initiatives.

Key Takeaways:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on tobacco use behavior in Japan, with more participants achieving cessation after 1 year in the pandemic group compared to the pre-pandemic group (13.8% vs 10.2%, P < 0.01).
  • The pandemic group showed a higher rate of cessation for conventional tobacco use (14.1% vs 9.5%, P < 0.01) and novel tobacco use (13.6% vs 10.9%, P < 0.05) compared to the pre-pandemic group.
  • The study found that the pandemic had a greater impact on achievement of cessation for novel tobacco use compared to conventional tobacco use.
  • The longitudinal cohort study was conducted over a 1-year period, with participants divided into pre-pandemic and pandemic groups based on their COVID-19 status in February 2020.
  • The study used sampling probability weighting to account for population bias and logistic regression analysis to evaluate the association between cessation and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Statistics:

  • 1,920 participants were in the pre-pandemic group and 2,681 were in the pandemic group.
  • More participants in the pandemic group achieved cessation after 1 year compared to the pre-pandemic group (13.8% vs 10.2%, P < 0.01).
  • The rate of cessation for conventional tobacco use in the pandemic group was 14.1% compared to 9.5% in the pre-pandemic group (P < 0.01).
  • The rate of cessation for novel tobacco use in the pandemic group was 13.6% compared to 10.9% in the pre-pandemic group (P < 0.05).

Sources:

  • Kanai, M., et al. "Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Changes in Tobacco Use Behavior: A Longitudinal Cohort Study in Japan." Journal of Epidemiology, vol. 35, no. 6, 2025, pp. 255-261.
  • Japan Epidemiological Association. Journal of Epidemiology. http://jeaweb.jp/english/journal/index.html
  • National Hospital Organization Kyoto Medical Center. Division of Respiratory Medicine. Kyoto, Japan.

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