The UK Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and smoking, alcohol consumption and vaping during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from eight longitudinal population surveys
Year: 2022
Type: review
Abstract: Background Disruptions to employment status can impact smoking and alcohol consumption. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the UK implemented a furlough scheme to prevent job loss. We examine how furlough was associated with participants’ smoking, vaping and alcohol consumption behaviours in the early stages of the pandemic. Methods Data were from 27,841 participants in eight UK adult longitudinal surveys. Participants self-reported employment status and current smoking, current vaping and drinking alcohol (>4 days/week or 5+ drinks per typical occasion) both before and during the pandemic (April-July 2020). Risk ratios were estimated within each study using modified Poisson regression, adjusting for a range of potential confounders, including pre-pandemic behaviour. Findings were synthesised using random effects meta-analysis. Sub-group analyses were used to identify whether associations differed by gender, age or education. Results Compared to stable employment, neither furlough, no longer being employed, nor stable unemployment were associated with smoking, vaping or drinking, following adjustment for pre-pandemic characteristics. However, some sex differences in these associations were observed, with stable unemployment associated with smoking for women (ARR=1.35; 95% CI: 1.00-1.82; I 2 : 47%) but not men (0.84; 95% CI: 0.67-1.05; I 2 : 0%). No longer being employed was associated with vaping among women (ARR=2.74; 95% CI: 1.59-4.72; I 2 : 0%) but not men (ARR=1.25; 95% CI: 0.83-1.87; I 2 : 0%). There was little indication of associations with drinking differing by age, gender or education. Conclusions We found no clear evidence of furlough or unemployment having adverse impacts on smoking, vaping or drinking behaviours during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK, with differences in risk compared to those who remained employed largely explained by pre-pandemic characteristics.
Source: BMC Medicine
Authors: Michael J. Green, Jane Maddock, Giorgio Di Gessa, Bożena Wielgoszewska, Sam Parsons, Gareth J Griffith, Jazz Croft, Anna J. Stevenson, Charlotte F. Huggins, Charlotte Booth, Jacques Wels, Richard J. Silverwood, Praveetha Patalay, Alun D. Hughes, Nishi Chaturvedi, Laura D Howe, Emla Fitzsimons, Srinivasa Vittal Katikireddi, George B. Ploubidis
Language: English
Subfield: Physiology
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,690
Awards: G1278851761, G1379179938, Understanding Society Waves 6 to 8, G162713286, Understanding the economic, social and health impacts of COVID-19 using lifetime data: evidence from 5 nationally representative UK cohorts, Centre for Longitudinal Studies, Resource Centre 2015-20, G2162646731, G2572913257, G259633682, Generation Scotland:NextGenScot, The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC): A multi- generation, longitudinal resource focusing on life course health and well- being., Generation Scotland:NextGenScot, G4069887101, Stratifying Resilience and Depression Longitudinally (STRADL), Centre for Longitudinal Studies Resource Centre 2022 - 2025, Inequalities in health, G5694248314, Investigating the differential geographical, sociodemographic and genetic predictors of mental illness and wellbeing using longitudinal survey data, Understanding Society: The UK Household Longitudinal Survey Waves 13-15, G6530907940, G6689231961, G6807676582, G6856951272, English Longitudinal Study of Ageing COVID-19 Substudy, Millennium Cohort Study Wave 8, G801210579, G8158107655, G8292008543, G8415457339, ESRC Institute for the Microeconomic Analysis of Public Policy, G8600011123
OpenAlex ID: W4296784868