University students' (binge) drinking during COVID-19 lockdowns: An investigation of depression, social context, resilience, and changes in alcohol use.

RATIONALE: The first COVID-19 lockdown impacted the social life and behaviors of university students, such as alcohol use. While previous studies have reported changes in students' alcohol use during the lockdown, knowledge of risk groups like binge drinkers is limited. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to investigate how the first lockdown impacted the alcohol use of university students who were regular binge drinkers before the lockdown. METHODS: Cross-sectional data were used to explore self-reported changes in alcohol use and associated psychosocial effects in regular binge drinking versus regular drinking university students (N = 7355) during the first COVID-19 lockdown (Spring 2020) in the Netherlands. RESULTS: University students generally drank less alcohol and reduced binge drinking behaviors during the lockdown. Being a binge drinker who increased/maintained alcohol use, or a regular drinker who increased, was associated with older age, fewer servings of alcohol per week before COVID-19, higher contact with friends, and not living with parents. Among regular binge drinkers, men increased their alcohol use during the lockdown significantly more than women. Among regular drinkers, those with high depressive symptoms and low resilience had increased alcohol use. CONCLUSIONS: These findings give insight into significant changes in drinking behaviors among university students during the first COVID-19 lockdown. More importantly, it underscores the need to reckon vulnerable students considering drinking type and associated psychosocial variables for increasing or maintaining higher alcohol use during societal stress periods. In the present study, an unexpected at-risk group emerged among regular drinkers who increased alcohol use during the lockdown in association with their mental state (i.e., depression and resilience). As the COVID-19 pandemic, and the possibility of similar scenarios in the future, is still present in the current student life, specific preventive strategies and interventions should be targeted accordingly.

University students' (Binge) drinking during COVID-19 lockdowns: Changes in depression, social context, resilience, and alcohol use

Rationale The first COVID-19 lockdown impacted the social life and behaviours of university students, such as alcohol use.While previous studies have reported changes in students' alcohol use during the lockdown, knowledge of risk groups like binge drinkers is limited. Objective The purpose of this study is to investigate how the first lockdown impacted the alcohol use of university students who were regular binge drinkers before the lockdown. Methods Cross-sectional data were used to explore self-reported changes in alcohol use and associated psychosocial effects in regular binge drinking versus regular drinking university students (N = 7355) during the first COVID-19 lockdown (Spring 2020) in the Netherlands. Results University students generally drank less alcohol and reduced binge drinking behaviours during the lockdown. Being a binge drinker who increased/maintained alcohol use, or a regular drinker who increased, was associated with older age, fewer servings of alcohol per week before COVID-19, higher contact with friends, and not living with parents. Among regular binge drinkers, men increased their alcohol use during the lockdown significantly more than women. Among regular drinkers, those with high depressive symptoms and low resilience had increased alcohol use. Conclusions These findings give insight into significant changes in drinking behaviours among university students during the first COVID-19 lockdown. More importantly, it underscores the need to reckon vulnerable students considering drinking type and associated psychosocial variables for increasing or maintaining higher alcohol use during societal stress periods. In the present study, an unexpected at-risk group emerged among regular drinkers who increased alcohol use during the lockdown in association with their mental state (i.e., depression and resilience). As the COVID-19 pandemic, and the possibility of similar scenarios in the future, is still present in the current student life, specific preventive strategies and interventions should be targeted accordingly.

A longitudinal study on changes in food parenting practices during COVID-19 and the role of parental well-being.

The COVID-19 pandemic may negatively influence food parenting practices, also among parents of adolescents. Parental well-being (stress and depressive symptoms) may explain these COVID-19 related changes in food parenting practices (snack structure, healthy structure, modeling, autonomy support, and coercive control). However, most previous studies performed before or during the COVID-19 pandemic have been limited by cross-sectional designs. The aim of the current study among parents of adolescent children was twofold. First, we aimed to examine prospective differences in food parenting practices comparing the situation before and during COVID-19. Second, we aimed to examine both cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between parental well-being and the dimensions of food parenting, while additionally examining whether these prospective associations were more pronounced in parents who had experienced more COVID-19 stressful life events. Parents (N = 290; 74.9% female; at baseline: Mage = 46.9; SDage = 4.3) of adolescent children (at baseline: Mage = 14.3; SDage = 0.6) completed online surveys about parental well-being and food parenting twice: One year before the COVID-19 pandemic (spring 2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic, 1.5 years after the first measurement (autumn 2020). In general, we found consistent evidence for an average decrease in food autonomy support and an increase in coercive control during COVID-19. However, parental well-being did not seem to explain (changes in) food parenting practices during COVID-19, also not in combination with stressful life events. Our findings suggest that, regardless of parental well-being, the general COVID-19 situation had some small negative influences on autonomy support and coercive control among parents of adolescents. These findings might be explained by parents being more often confronted with unhealthy eating occasions in the COVID-19 home context, triggering these negative parental responses.

Adolescents' food intake changes during the COVID-19 pandemic: The moderating role of pre-pandemic susceptibility, COVID-19 related stressors, and the social food context.

Although insight in how adolescents' food intake is affected by the COVID-19 pandemic is critical, knowledge is limited. Hence, this longitudinal study (N = 691, Mage = 14.30, SDage = 0.62; 52.5% female) investigated changes in adolescents' unhealthy (sugar-sweetened beverages, sweet snacks, savoury snacks) and healthy (fruit and vegetables) food intake (in total, obtained from home, and from outside the home) from pre-pandemic (Spring 2019) to the first lockdown (Spring 2020) and to six months later (Fall 2020). Moreover, several moderating factors were assessed. Results showed that the intake of unhealthy and healthy food in total and obtained from outside the home decreased during the lockdown. Six months later, unhealthy food intake returned to pre-pandemic levels, while healthy food intake remained lower. COVID-19 stressful life events and maternal food intake further qualified these longer-term changes in intake of sugar-sweetened beverages and fruit and vegetables, respectively. Future work is warranted to elucidate longer-term COVID-19 effects on adolescents' food intake.