Association of Financial Distress and Monthly Income with Smoking During the COVID-19 Pandemic Recession in Thailand: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study
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Issued Date
2025-08-01
Resource Type
ISSN
16617827
eISSN
16604601
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105014271571
Journal Title
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume
22
Issue
8
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol.22 No.8 (2025)
Suggested Citation
Sathirapanya C., Wichaidit W., Kasemsup V., Pipattanachat V., Chotipanvithayakul R. Association of Financial Distress and Monthly Income with Smoking During the COVID-19 Pandemic Recession in Thailand: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Vol.22 No.8 (2025). doi:10.3390/ijerph22081287 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/111929
Title
Association of Financial Distress and Monthly Income with Smoking During the COVID-19 Pandemic Recession in Thailand: A Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study
Corresponding Author(s)
Other Contributor(s)
Abstract
(1) Background: Psychological distress causes increased smoking frequency. Thus, financial distress (FD), a type of psychological distress, during the COVID-19 pandemic recession is possibly associated with increased smoking frequency. We studied the association between disrupted employment or earnings-associated FD and the number of cigarettes smoked daily, as well as the effects of pre-pandemic regular monthly incomes on the association. (2) Methods: We retrieved the collected data from a former nationwide and community-based study regarding the psycho-socio-economic characteristics of Thai people during the third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand in 2021. The participants for this study were current smokers aged ≥ 18 years. General demographics, perceived FD, and pre-pandemic regular monthly incomes were analyzed. Descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression with sampling weight adjustments were the analyses used (p < 0.05). (3) Results: 849 current smokers were suitable for statistical analyses. We found that 664 (12.9%) of participants experienced FD, but it did not significantly affect smoking frequency. However, those who had FD and regularly earning ≥ THB 10,000 ($271.11 US) per month was significantly associated with increased daily cigarette use, after adjusting for age and sex (adjusted OR = 2.74; 95% CI = 1.18, 6.37, p = 0.020). (4) Conclusion: FD alone did not affect daily smoking frequency. Understanding the psycho-socio-economic factors is necessary for smoking control during the COVID-19 economic recession.