Changes in tobacco and e-cigarette consumption in Spanish university students during the COVID-19 lockdown: Identification of vulnerable groups

Introduction The objective of this study was to determine the changes in tobacco consumption in Spanish university students during the lockdown in 2020, and to identify vulnerable groups based on gender, age, and living situation. Methods This was a cross-sectional descriptive study. From a sample of 1540 Spanish university students, 19.9% (n=306; 77.6% women; mean age=30.9 years; SD=8.3) reported having consumed tobacco. The frequency and average daily consumption of cigarettes and electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) before the pandemic and during lockdown were analyzed. Results A total of 97.1% of students consumed only cigarettes, 2.9% only ENDS, and 3.3% were dual consumers. During lockdown, cigarette consumption was significantly reduced (5.3 before; 4.0 during; t (71) =3.6255; p