Nicotine Use, Mental Distress, Diet and Resilience

Authors: Anna Vishnevetsky, Andrianna Poznahovska, Catherine Andree, Christian Scrum

Field of Study: Psychology

Program Affiliation: Health and Wellness Studies

Faculty Mentors: Linda Begdache

Easel: 27

Timeslot: Morning

Abstract: Nicotine has been a significant issue in society for more than 70 years, but the age of users is getting younger and accessibility is increasing. It was hypothesized that individuals with a higher frequency of nicotine use would display greater mental distress, lower social resilience, and poor dietary habits. Data was collected via an anonymous online survey through social media, iMessage, and Survey Circle. Nicotine use was measured using the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND). Pearson’s correlations in SPSS 28.0 showed that higher daily nicotine use was significantly positively related to all six K6 mental distress items (hopelessness, worthlessness, depressed mood, effortfulness, nervousness, restlessness; all p ≤ .05). Higher daily nicotine use was also linked to lower dark green vegetable consumption (p < .050) and greater difficulty getting through stressful events (p < .001). These findings suggest that nicotine use issues are associated with poor diet, depression, and lower resilience.