Pandemic-Related Worries and Stressors and Use of Tobacco and Alcohol Among Postpartum Women in the United States Early in the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVES

Pandemic-related worries and stressors were common during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to examine pandemic-related worries and stressors in relation to tobacco and alcohol use among postpartum women in the United States early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHODS

From May through June 2020, 792 postpartum women in the United States completed an electronic survey, the COVID-19: Health in Pregnancy and Postpartum Study. The survey assessed pandemic-related worries by using a summary score of 10 items and pandemic-related stressors by using 4 items. The primary outcomes were tobacco and alcohol use. Secondary outcomes were increased amounts of tobacco and alcohol during the pandemic among participants who used tobacco and/or alcohol. We used logistic regression models to examine the association of pandemic-related worries and stressors with each outcome.

RESULTS

Among postpartum women, 24.4% used tobacco and 27.8% used alcohol. Pandemic-related worries were associated with higher odds of tobacco use (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.08; 95% CI, 1.04-1.13), alcohol use (AOR = 1.09; 95% CI, 1.05-1.13), and using both tobacco and alcohol postpartum (AOR = 1.13; 95% CI, 1.07-1.20). Both worries and stressors were associated with increased tobacco use (AOR for worries = 1.08; 95% CI, 1.01-1.16; AOR for stressors = 2.00; 95% CI, 1.33-3.00) but not with increased alcohol use.

CONCLUSIONS

The association between pandemic-related worries and stressors and tobacco use underscores the need for health promotion interventions among postpartum women to reduce tobacco use. Developing pandemic-related interventions now for use in future pandemics to alleviate pandemic-related worries and stressors experienced by postpartum women is warranted.