Objective:

This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on tobacco use and mental health in US African American and Latinx college students with asthma. Associations among asthma control, tobacco use, and mental health were also examined.

Methods:

105 African American and Latinx college students with asthma (18-23 years) completed two online questionnaires (June 2019-March 2020 for Time 1; August 2020-October 2020 for Time 2). Participants completed the Epidemic-Pandemic Impacts Inventory (measure of COVID-19 impact), Asthma Control Test, Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale, Patient Health Questionnaire (measure of depression), Perceived Stress Scale, and items related to tobacco use.

Results:

Asthma control improved (t = -3.326, p = 0.001) from Time 1 to 2, and e-vapor product use decreased (ꭓ²₁₀₄ = 6.572, p = 0.010). COVID-19 impact was positively associated with students’ symptoms of anxiety, depression, and perceived stress (β = 0.201, p < 0.001; β = 0.179, p < 0.001; and β = 0.199, p = 0.001, respectively) at Time 2. These results remained significant with the Benjamini-Hochberg correction. Asthma control at Time 1 was negatively associated with anxiety symptoms at Time 2 (β = -0.418, p = 0.023); however, associations with perceived stress (β = -0.514, p = 0.019) and all other tobacco product use (B = -0.233, p = 0.030) did not remain significant with the Benjamini-Hochberg correction.

Conclusions:

As hypothesized, a higher COVID-19 impact score was associated with students endorsing more mental health symptoms. Better control of asthma symptoms before the pandemic predicted fewer anxiety symptoms during the pandemic.