Purchasing, consumption, demographic and socioeconomic variables associated with shifts in alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Drug Alcohol Rev
; 40(2): 183-191, 2021 02.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1066655
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION AND AIMS:
Restrictions introduced to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have had major impacts on the living circumstances of Australians. This paper aims to provide insight into shifts in alcohol consumption and associated factors during the epidemic. DESIGN ANDMETHODS:
A cross-sectional convenience sample of 2307 Australians aged 18 and over who drank at least monthly was recruited through social media. Respondents were asked about their alcohol consumption and purchasing in 2019 prior to the epidemic plus similar questions about their experiences in the month prior to being surveyed between 29 April and 16 May 2020.RESULTS:
Reports of average consumption before (3.53 drinks per day [3.36, 3.71 95% confidence interval]) and during (3.52 [3.34, 3.69]) the pandemic were stable. However, young men and those who drank more outside the home in 2019 reported decreased consumption during the pandemic, and people with high levels of stress and those who bulk-bought alcohol when restrictions were announced reported an increase in consumption relative to those who did not. DISCUSSION ANDCONCLUSIONS:
A reported increase in consumption among those experiencing more stress suggests that some people may have been drinking to cope during the epidemic. Conversely, the reported decrease in consumption among those who drank more outside of their home in 2019 suggests that closing all on-trade sales did not result in complete substitution of on-premise drinking with home drinking in this group. Monitoring of relevant subgroups to assess long-term changes in consumption in the aftermath of the epidemic is recommended.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Stress, Psychological
/
Alcohol Drinking
/
Commerce
/
Alcoholic Beverages
/
COVID-19
/
Income
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Qualitative research
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Adult
/
Child
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Middle aged
Country/Region as subject:
Oceania
Language:
English
Journal:
Drug Alcohol Rev
Journal subject:
Substance-Related Disorders
Year:
2021
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Dar.13200
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS