key: cord-1039396-s5sjakvl
authors: Vaneckova, Pavla; Sarich, Peter; Cabasag, Citadel Jungco; Liebermann, Erica; Carle, Chelsea; Hughes, Suzanne; Egger, Sam; O'Connell, Dianne; Weber, Marianne; da Costa, Allini Mafra; Caruana, Michael; Gouda, Hebe; Canfell, Karen; Ginsburg, Ophira; Steinberg, Julia; Soerjomataram, Isabelle
title: 1343 A systematic review and meta-analysis of tobacco smoking behaviour changes during the COVID-19 pandemic
date: 2021-09-02
journal: Int J Epidemiol
DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyab168.679
sha: 29bcc162f99dc8090d762fb5aac0c80d7b0d0828
doc_id: 1039396
cord_uid: s5sjakvl

BACKGROUND: Globally, tobacco smoking remains the largest cause of premature death. The COVID-19 pandemic has forced nations to take unprecedented measures including ‘lockdowns’ that might impact tobacco smoking behaviour. We performed a systematic review and meta-analyses to assess smoking behaviour changes during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: We searched Medline/Embase/PsycINFO/BioRxiv/MedRxiv/SSRN databases (January-November 2020) for published and pre-print articles that reported specific smoking behaviour changes or intentions after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We used random-effects models to pool prevalence ratios comparing the prevalence of smokers during and before the pandemic, and the prevalence of smoking behaviour changes. RESULTS: 33 studies were included in meta-analyses, with smoking data for ∼230,000 participants across 24 countries. The proportions of smokers during and before the pandemic were similar, with a pooled prevalence ratio 0.85 (95%CI:0.76-0.95). In studies limited to smokers, 27% (95%CI:21-32%) smoked more, 17% (95%CI:13-21%) smoked less, 54% (95%CI:47-61%) smoked the same and 5% (95%CI:2-9%) reported quitting smoking. Among all participants, 1% (95%CI:0-2%) started smoking during the pandemic. All studies were at high risk of bias due to use of non-representative samples, likely non-response bias, and utilisation of non-validated questions. CONCLUSIONS: Smoking behaviour changes during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic were highly mixed. Meta-analyses indicated slightly lower overall smoking prevalence during the pandemic, but higher intensity among smokers. KEY MESSAGES: More recent and higher quality studies of smoking behaviour changes are required to measure the longer term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Background: Studies have shown a higher mortality due to COVID-19 amongst certain professions. The risk of becoming infected with SARS-CoV-2 and the occupational conditions associated with this, have not been studied extensively. This study aimed to develop and validate a Job Exposure Matrix (JEM) to assess the risk of COVID-19 in the workplace. Methods: Researchers from three European countries defined six dimensions (four transmission determinants, two mitigation measures) to classify occupational risk. A combination of national statistics and expert judgement was used to classify ISCO-08 codes in no, low, elevated, or high risk for each dimension. Two data driven aspects of precarious work were also included and classified in four categories. The JEM was translated to SOC2010-codes and validated by comparing it to UK infection survey data and ONS estimates of exposure based on ONET data. Results: A slightly increasing proportion of COVID-19 cases was observed with increasing risk scores in each dimension of the JEM. There was a high correlation between the JEM and the ONS estimates for physical proximity (r ¼ 0.71) and exposure to COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 infection (r ¼ 0.80) Conclusions: Successful development and initial validation of this JEM has resulted in a useful tool for risk assessment of COVID-19 in the workplace. Further validation exercises will continue.

Results: 33 studies were included in meta-analyses, with smoking data for 230,000 participants across 24 countries. The proportions of smokers during and before the pandemic were similar, with a pooled prevalence ratio 0.85 (95%CI:0.76-0.95). In studies limited to smokers, 27% (95%CI:21-32%) smoked more, 17% (95%CI:13-21%) smoked less, 54% (95%CI:47-61%) smoked the same and 5% (95%CI:2-9%) reported quitting smoking. Among all participants, 1% (95%CI:0-2%) started smoking during the pandemic. All studies were at high risk of bias due to use of nonrepresentative samples, likely non-response bias, and utilisation of non-validated questions. Conclusions: Smoking behaviour changes during the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic were highly mixed. Meta-analyses indicated slightly lower overall smoking prevalence during the pandemic, but higher intensity among smokers. Key messages: More recent and higher quality studies of smoking behaviour changes are required to measure the longer term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Abstract #: 999 Impact of Heatwaves on use of health services (GP spectively. Heatwaves were defined using Excess Heat Factor. Using time-stratified case-crossover models, we modelled heatwaveseverity (low, severe/extreme) against the use of GP and ED services in the warm-season (October-March). Effect estimates are reported as relative risks (RRs). Results: Total GP visits decreased during low-intensity heatwaves and increased during severe/extreme heatwaves (RR 1.14; 95%CI: 1.13-1.15). The highest increases during severe/extreme heatwaves were observed for respiratory (RR 1.36; 95%CI: 1.27-1.45) and psychiatric services. While ED visits decreased overall during lowintensity and severe/extreme heatwaves, those due to heat-light disorders (RR 4.23; 95%CI: 2.98-6.00), volume depletion, and respiratory diseases increased during severe/extreme heatwaves. Conclusions: There were significant increases in the use of GP and specific ED services during heatwaves in Adelaide. Further research is needed to identify the intrinsic and extrinsic vulnerability factors contributing to these increases in Adelaide and other Australian cities. Key messages: Impacts of heatwaves extend beyond mortality to include frontline health-services (GP/EDs) that are already challenged. Evidence presented may assist policymakers for resource allocation and healthcare workforce capacity building. 

Focus (NTDs) of are one billion their social and economic development. For several NTDs, including the ones that are the focus of this symposium, the main strategy for control consists of preventive chemotherapy: the large-scale administration of drugs to entire communities or specific population groups, without prior individual diagnosis. In this symposium we will present the progress made in several countries in the Asia-Pacific region towards the control of 5 NTDs schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted hel-) largely through the scale-up of preventive also describe the contribution of operational and elimination of these infections. participants will be able to:

in the Asia-Pacific region to control and large-scale preventive chemotherapy n of operational research to improve to the implementation of large-scale clinis m, including for its inclusion in the: In Organization endorsed ambitious targets toon of NTDs. to be reached by the end of 2020. Although not all of those targets will be reached there was remarkable progress in coverage of preventive chemotherapy worldwide with millions of doses of medications such as albendazole, ivermectin and ddiethylcarbamazine distributed annually or biannually to populations at risk. In early 2020 WHO released the new roadmap for NTDs, that sets new targets to achieve by 2030. Developed with extensive stakeholder consultation this roadmap aims to build on the momentum created since 2012 to further advance the progress made against NTDs. This symposium will review the current burden of NTDs in the region, summarise the successes achieved and present evidence from operational research that is contributing to the achievement of the WHO targets. Presentation program:

Optimizing strategies for soil-transmitted helminths control 2. Trachoma control in the Asia-Pacific Region 3. Novel epidemiological approaches to identify residual infections in the endgame of LF elimination

Asian Schistosomiasis: Status, Challenges and Opportunities for Control and Elimination