The COVID-19 pandemic: asthma control, tobacco use, and mental health among African American and Latinx college students

Abstract

Objective

This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on tobacco use and mental health in US African American and Latinx college students with asthma. Associations among asthma control, tobacco use, and mental health were also examined.

Methods

105 African American and Latinx college students with asthma (18–23 years) completed two online questionnaires (June 2019-March 2020 for Time 1; August 2020-October 2020 for Time 2). Participants completed the Epidemic-Pandemic Impacts Inventory (measure of COVID-19 impact), Asthma Control Test, Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, Patient Health Questionnaire (measure of depression), Perceived Stress Scale, and items related to tobacco use.

Results

Asthma control improved (t = −3.326, p = 0.001) from Time 1 to 2, and e-vapor product use decreased (χ²₁₀₄ = 6.572, p = 0.010). COVID-19 impact was positively associated with students’ symptoms of anxiety, depression, and perceived stress (B = 0.201, p < 0.001; B = 0.179, p < 0.001; and B = 0.199, p = 0.001, respectively) at Time 2. These results remained significant with the Benjamini-Hochberg correction. Asthma control at Time 1 was negatively associated with anxiety symptoms at Time 2 (B = −0.418, p = 0.023); however, associations with perceived stress (B = −0.514, p = 0.019) and all other tobacco product use (B = −0.233, p = 0.030) did not remain significant with the Benjamini-Hochberg correction.

Conclusions

As hypothesized, a higher COVID-19 impact score was associated with students endorsing more mental health symptoms. Better control of asthma symptoms before the pandemic predicted fewer anxiety symptoms during the pandemic.

Keywords:

• COVID-19
• smoking
• anxiety
• depression
• stress

Declaration of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose. The authors are solely responsible for the content and writing of this manuscript.

Funding from the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth supported this study. The findings and conclusions do not necessarily reflect those of the foundation.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth