Changes in Smoking Behavior, Stress, and Sleep Duration among Israeli Hospital Workers during the COVID-19 pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study.

A high proportion of healthcare employees working in a large tertiary medical centre in Israel reported increased stress levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among smokers, increased stress levels were associated with increased smoking, suggesting that smoking may be a coping mechanism for COVID-19 related stress. Offering stress-management skills and coping strategies can mitigate the negative impact on health workers' smoking behaviour, and reduce stress-related increases in smoking behaviour.