Binge drinkers in the United States increased their alcohol consumption by nearly 20% during COVID-19 stay-at-home orders, according to research by public health experts at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston.
The UTHealth study, published in the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, is one of the first to analyse the association of stress caused by the pandemic and dangerous alcohol consumption, according to University of Texas material published on 7 December 2020.
The study team surveyed nearly 2,000 adults in the United States in the spring of 2020.
Their questions aimed to understand any stressors participants were experiencing stemming from COVID-19 lockdown orders, including amount of time spent at home, how many individuals were living in the participants' household, any current or previous instances of depression, and any job impacts related to the pandemic such as decreased pay.
They also surveyed participants about their drinking habits, classifying them as either binge drinkers, non-binge drinkers, or non-drinkers.
Based on the self-reported data, the team was able to determine that 32% of all the participants reported binge drinking during stay-at-home orders, and 60% of those classified as binge drinkers said they had increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic compared to 28% of non-binge drinkers.
Binge drinking is defined for men as consuming five or more drinks and for women as consuming four or more within a two-hour period.
In addition, binge drinkers with a history and current diagnosis of depression were more likely to report consuming more alcohol during the pandemic, compared to those with no previous or current diagnosis. The study authors also found that the longer participants spent sheltering at home, the greater the odds of harmful consumption of alcohol.
Those who binge-drank shared that they consumed a maximum of roughly seven drinks in one sitting during the pandemic. In comparison, non-binge drinkers reported consuming roughly two drinks maximum during stay-at-home orders, with approximately 56% of non-binge drinkers reporting drinking about the same amount they would prior to the pandemic.
Respondents answered they spent an average of four weeks in lockdown and at least 21 hours a day at home. Those who lived with children were 26% less likely to binge-drink compared to those who did not have children in their household.
The study team said that their findings point to the concern that the COVID-19 pandemic will have lasting public health consequences, even for those who never contracted the virus.
"Our results indicate that those who spent more time at home during the early stages of the pandemic were more likely to consume alcohol at unhealthy levels," said Sitara Weerakoon, first and corresponding study author and a doctoral candidate at UTHealth School of Public Health. “This was particularly concerning for those with a previous diagnosis of depression and current depressive symptoms.”
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, prolonged heavy alcohol consumption can lead to liver disease, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and alcohol use disorders.
"We hope that public health and clinical experts consider these additional associations of the pandemic and develop programs and opportunities to overcome them. This may include increasing awareness and access to virtual counselling sessions and mental health services.
Additionally, public health organisations should prioritise providing healthy alternatives for stress relief, such as virtual meetups and social activities," Weerakoon said.
Longer time spent at home during COVID-19 pandemic is associated with binge drinking among US adults
The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. Published on 7 December 2020.
Authors
Sitara Weerakoon, Katelyn Jetelina and Gregory Knell
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced and exacerbated stressors (e.g., job loss, poor mental health) for adults across the United States (US) since the first state-wide shelter-in-place order on March 19, 2020. Limited research has evaluated if, and how, pandemic-related stressors are associated with changes in alcohol consumption and binge drinking.
Objectives
This analysis aims to identify COVID-19-related stressors associated with changes in alcohol consumption and binge drinking since the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Methods
Data were collected on sociodemographics, alcohol consumption, and COVID-19-related stressors (household composition, job status, essential worker, stay-at-home duration, and depression) using a web-based, self-report survey to US adults from mid-March to mid-April 2020.
Multivariable logistic and multinomial regression models were used to assess associations between COVID-19-related stressors and binge drinking and changes in alcohol consumption. Among 1,982 participants, 69% were female and 31% male.
Results
Thirty-four percent of the sample reported binge drinking during the COVID-19 pandemic.
More binge drinkers increased alcohol consumption during the pandemic (60%) than non-binge drinkers (28%). After adjusting for sociodemographics, for every 1-week increase in time spent at home during the pandemic, there was 1.21 (95% CI: 1.08–1.35) greater odds of binge drinking.
Additionally, binge drinkers with a previous diagnosis of depression and current depression symptoms had greater odds of increased alcohol consumption compared to those reporting no depression (AOR = 1.80, 95% CI: 1.15–2.81).
Conclusion
Specific COVID-19-related stressors are related to alcohol consumption. This highlights the ancillary and unintended effects of the COVID-19 pandemic which could have long-lasting population health consequences.
[link url="https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-12/uoth-sot120720.php"]University of Texas material – Stay-at-home orders tied to an increase in harmful alcohol consumption, study finds[/link]
[link url="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00952990.2020.1832508"] American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse article – Longer time spent at home during COVID-19 pandemic is associated with binge drinking among US adults[/link]