Exposure to health misinformation about COVID-19 and increased tobacco and alcohol use: a population-based survey in Hong Kong

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Abstract

Introduction

Health information about COVID-19 has been circulating in social networking sites, including unproven claims that smoking and alcohol drinking could protect against COVID-19. We examined if exposure to such claims was associated with changes in tobacco and alcohol consumption.

Methods

We conducted a population-based, landline and mobile phone survey of 1501 randomly sampled adults aged 18 years or older (47.5% male) in Hong Kong in April 2020. Respondents reported if they had ever seen claims that ‘smoking/alcohol drinking can protect against COVID-19’ from popular social networking platforms. Current tobacco and alcohol users reported if they had increased or reduced their consumption since the outbreak. Prevalence data were weighted by sex, age and education of the general adult population.

Results

19.0% (95% CI 16.8% to 21.4%) of all respondents reported having seen claims that ‘smoking/alcohol drinking can protect against COVID-19’ from social networking sites. Multinomial logistic regression showed that exposure to the claims was significantly associated with increased tobacco use (OR 2.37, 95% CI 1.08 to 5.20) in current tobacco users (N=280) and increased alcohol use (OR 4.16, 95% CI 2.00 to 8.67) in current drinkers (N=722), adjusting for sex, age, education level, alcohol/tobacco use status, home isolation, anxiety and depressive symptoms, and survey method.

Conclusion

Our results first showed that exposure to health misinformation that smoking/alcohol drinking can protect against COVID-19 was associated with self-reported increases in tobacco and alcohol consumption in Chinese during the pandemic.

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Most cited references 11

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A 4-item measure of depression and anxiety: validation and standardization of the Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) in the general population.

Bernd Löwe, Inka Wahl, Matthias Rose … (2010)

The 4-item Patient Health Questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) is an ultra-brief self-report questionnaire that consists of a 2-item depression scale (PHQ-2) and a 2-item anxiety scale (GAD-2). Given that PHQ-4, PHQ-2, and GAD-2 have not been validated in the general population, this study aimed to investigate their reliability and validity in a large general population sample and to generate normative data. A nationally representative face-to-face household survey was conducted in Germany in 2006. The survey questionnaire consisted of the PHQ-4, other self-report instruments, and demographic characteristics. Of the 5030 participants (response rate=72.9%), 53.6% were female and mean (SD) age was 48.4 (18.0) years. The sociodemographic characteristics of the study sample closely match those of the total populations in Germany as well as those in the United States. Confirmatory factor analyses showed very good fit indices for a two-factor solution (RMSEA .027; 90% CI .023-.032). All models tested were structurally invariant between different age and gender groups. Construct validity of the PHQ-4, PHQ-2, and GAD-2 was supported by intercorrelations with other self-report scales and with demographic risk factors for depression and anxiety. PHQ-2 and GAD-2 scores of 3 corresponded to percentile ranks of 93.4% and 95.2%, respectively, whereas PHQ-2 and GAD-2 scores of 5 corresponded to percentile ranks of 99.0% and 99.2%, respectively. A criterion standard diagnostic interview for depression and anxiety was not included. Results from this study support the reliability and validity of the PHQ-4, PHQ-2, and GAD-2 as ultra-brief measures of depression and anxiety in the general population. The normative data provided in this study can be used to compare a subject's scale score with those determined from a general population reference group. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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Impact assessment of non-pharmaceutical interventions against coronavirus disease 2019 and influenza in Hong Kong: an observational study

Benjamin Cowling, Sheikh Taslim Ali, Tiffany W Y Ng … (2020)

Summary Background A range of public health measures have been implemented to suppress local transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Hong Kong. We examined the effect of these interventions and behavioural changes of the public on the incidence of COVID-19, as well as on influenza virus infections, which might share some aspects of transmission dynamics with COVID-19. Methods We analysed data on laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases, influenza surveillance data in outpatients of all ages, and influenza hospitalisations in children. We estimated the daily effective reproduction number (R t) for COVID-19 and influenza A H1N1 to estimate changes in transmissibility over time. Attitudes towards COVID-19 and changes in population behaviours were reviewed through three telephone surveys done on Jan 20–23, Feb 11–14, and March 10–13, 2020. Findings COVID-19 transmissibility measured by R t has remained at approximately 1 for 8 weeks in Hong Kong. Influenza transmission declined substantially after the implementation of social distancing measures and changes in population behaviours in late January, with a 44% (95% CI 34–53%) reduction in transmissibility in the community, from an estimated R t of 1·28 (95% CI 1·26–1·30) before the start of the school closures to 0·72 (0·70–0·74) during the closure weeks. Similarly, a 33% (24–43%) reduction in transmissibility was seen based on paediatric hospitalisation rates, from an R t of 1·10 (1·06–1·12) before the start of the school closures to 0·73 (0·68–0·77) after school closures. Among respondents to the surveys, 74·5%, 97·5%, and 98·8% reported wearing masks when going out, and 61·3%, 90·2%, and 85·1% reported avoiding crowded places in surveys 1 (n=1008), 2 (n=1000), and 3 (n=1005), respectively. Interpretation Our study shows that non-pharmaceutical interventions (including border restrictions, quarantine and isolation, distancing, and changes in population behaviour) were associated with reduced transmission of COVID-19 in Hong Kong, and are also likely to have substantially reduced influenza transmission in early February, 2020. Funding Health and Medical Research Fund, Hong Kong.

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Alcohol use and misuse during the COVID-19 pandemic: a potential public health crisis?

James Clay, Matthew O. Parker (2020)

In an attempt to control the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, governments across the world have implemented distancing measures during the search for medical countermeasures, resulting in millions of people being isolated for long periods. Alcohol misuse is one of the leading causes of preventable mortality, contributing annually to about 3 million deaths worldwide. 1 In some individuals, long term, excessive alcohol misuse might escalate into an alcohol use disorder. The potential public health effects of long-term isolation on alcohol use and misuse are unknown. Stress is a prominent risk factor for the onset and maintenance of alcohol misuse. For example, chronic alcohol use results in neuroadaptations in stress and reward pathways, which lead to dysfunctional hypothalamic pituitary adrenocortical and sympathetic adrenomedullary axes, characterised by dysregulation of the cortisol response and deficits in emotional regulation. 2 In turn, these neuroadaptations lead to increased cravings for alcohol in response to stress. The effects of long-term social isolation on stress levels, including increased neuroendocrine responses and stress reactivity, have been described in non-human animals. 3 However, the ongoing lockdowns across many countries are unique and little is known of the effects on the general population of chronic isolation (with respect to health and wellbeing) in these circumstances A risk factor for the onset and maintenance of alcohol misuse and alcohol use disorder is trait impulsivity (ie, the tendency to take risks or act without adequate forethought or reflection). Impulsivity can moderate stress-induced consumption of alcohol 4 and is also associated with relapse in addicted individuals. 5 Thus, this period of isolation might lead to a spike in alcohol misuse, relapse, and potentially, development of alcohol use disorder in at-risk individuals, therefore placing further strain on addiction and drug and alcohol services, and the health service in general, during and after the pandemic. Most governments, including the UK Government, have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic by advising the public to remain indoors, avoid unnecessary social contact, to protect themselves and health-care systems, and to save lives. We suggest that, as well as this important public health advice, governments should give public health warnings about excessive alcohol consumption during isolation to protect vulnerable individuals.