Depression, anxiety and poor psychosocial well-being are associate with tobacco smoking in South Africa
1
South African Medical Research Council, Durban and Cape Town, South Africa
2
African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya
Popul. Med. 2026;8(Supplement Supplement 1):A2930
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Tobacco smoking, mental health problems and poor psychosocial well-being are high in South Africa with these relations underexplored. This study examined the associations of sociodemographic characteristics, anxiety, depression and poor psychosocial well-being with current tobacco smoking in Cape Town.
METHODS:
In this population-based cross-sectional study, sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviours, mental health and psychosocial profiles were collected using administered questionnaires. Logistic regressions examined the associations with current smoking. The basic model comprised sociodemographic characteristics. Thereafter, mental health and psychosocial variables were entered individually in separate models. P-values <0.05 were deemed significant.
RESULTS:
Among 1016 participants (81% women), median age 55 years, prevalence of tobacco smoking was 22.2% and higher in men (30.6%) than women (20.3%) (p=0.002). Smoking was more prevalent among problem drinkers (36.2%) and non-problem drinkers (29.6%) than non-drinkers (17.8%) (p<0.001). Depression, anxiety, less social support, poor quality of life, perceptions of poor health and physical/emotional health interfering with social activities were higher with current smoking (p<0.04 for all). In the basic regression model, male vs. female, mixed ancestry vs. black, unemployed vs. employed, and never married vs. currently married were significantly associated with current smoking. In separate regression models, depression traits were associated with smoking (OR:1.43, 95%CI:1.04-1.95) as were anxiety traits: OR: 1.52, 95%CI:1.05-2.19. Further, low social support (OR: 1.54, 95%CI:1.08-2.19), poor quality of life (OR:1.73, 95%CI:1.25-2.39) and perceptions of having poor health (OR: 1.73, 95%CI:1.23-2.44) were related to smoking. Adverse life events of experiencing financial strain (OR:1.48, 95%CI:1.10-2.00) or having relationship difficulties (OR:1.49, 95%CI:1.12-1.97) were linked to smoking.
CONCLUSIONS:
The high burden of current smoking and its associations with depression, anxiety and poor psychosocial well-being highlight the need to assess mental health and psychosocial well-being among current tobacco smokers. Furthermore, measures to address these conditions need to be incorporated into smoking cessation programmes to improve cessation rates.
Tobacco smoking, mental health problems and poor psychosocial well-being are high in South Africa with these relations underexplored. This study examined the associations of sociodemographic characteristics, anxiety, depression and poor psychosocial well-being with current tobacco smoking in Cape Town.
METHODS:
In this population-based cross-sectional study, sociodemographic characteristics, lifestyle behaviours, mental health and psychosocial profiles were collected using administered questionnaires. Logistic regressions examined the associations with current smoking. The basic model comprised sociodemographic characteristics. Thereafter, mental health and psychosocial variables were entered individually in separate models. P-values <0.05 were deemed significant.
RESULTS:
Among 1016 participants (81% women), median age 55 years, prevalence of tobacco smoking was 22.2% and higher in men (30.6%) than women (20.3%) (p=0.002). Smoking was more prevalent among problem drinkers (36.2%) and non-problem drinkers (29.6%) than non-drinkers (17.8%) (p<0.001). Depression, anxiety, less social support, poor quality of life, perceptions of poor health and physical/emotional health interfering with social activities were higher with current smoking (p<0.04 for all). In the basic regression model, male vs. female, mixed ancestry vs. black, unemployed vs. employed, and never married vs. currently married were significantly associated with current smoking. In separate regression models, depression traits were associated with smoking (OR:1.43, 95%CI:1.04-1.95) as were anxiety traits: OR: 1.52, 95%CI:1.05-2.19. Further, low social support (OR: 1.54, 95%CI:1.08-2.19), poor quality of life (OR:1.73, 95%CI:1.25-2.39) and perceptions of having poor health (OR: 1.73, 95%CI:1.23-2.44) were related to smoking. Adverse life events of experiencing financial strain (OR:1.48, 95%CI:1.10-2.00) or having relationship difficulties (OR:1.49, 95%CI:1.12-1.97) were linked to smoking.
CONCLUSIONS:
The high burden of current smoking and its associations with depression, anxiety and poor psychosocial well-being highlight the need to assess mental health and psychosocial well-being among current tobacco smokers. Furthermore, measures to address these conditions need to be incorporated into smoking cessation programmes to improve cessation rates.
| eISSN: | 2654-1459 |
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