Investigation of the effects of long-term tobacco use on emotional state and hand functionality: A comparative study

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of long-term tobacco use on individuals' emotional state and hand functionality. A total of 122 participants, including 61 tobacco users (27.08±4.67 years) and 61 non-users (26.00±4.14 years), were included in the study. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Styles of Coping with Stress Inventory (SCSI) were used to assess the emotional state of the participants. Hand function was evaluated using the Two-Point Discrimination Test (2PD), Monofilament Test (MFT), Purdue Pegboard Test (PPT), and Jebsen-Taylor Hand Function Test (JTHFT).BDI scores showed no significant differences between groups (p>0.05), while SCSI results indicated that tobacco users adopted a more optimistic approach to coping with stress (p<0.05). MFT and 2PD results demonstrated that tobacco users had significantly higher monofilament thresholds and range scores, respectively (p<0.05). According to the JTHFT results, tobacco users completed tasks in a longer time, while PPT results revealed that they exhibited lower performance in left-hand, bilateral-hand, and tower construction parameters (p<0.05). No significant relationship was found between coping strategies and hand function (p>0.05), whereas a significant correlation was observed between BDI and JTHFT scores (p<0.05). In conclusion, while tobacco users showed a more optimistic attitude toward coping with stress, their hand functionality was negatively affected. Keywords: Depressive symptom; Hand function; Peripheral sense; Stress; Tobacco use