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Alcohol Consumption during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey of US Adults

Author

Listed:
  • Elyse R. Grossman

    (Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
    Advancement Strategy Consulting, LLC, Columbia, MD 21046, USA)

  • Sara E. Benjamin-Neelon

    (Department of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA)

  • Susan Sonnenschein

    (Psychology Department, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD 21250, USA)

Abstract

Emerging but limited evidence suggests that alcohol consumption has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study assessed: (1) whether drinking behaviors changed during the pandemic; and, (2) how those changes were impacted by COVID-19-related stress. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey with a convenience sample of U.S. adults over 21 years in May 2020. We conducted adjusted linear regressions to assess COVID-19 stress and alcohol consumption, adjusting for gender, race, ethnicity, age, and household income. A total of 832 responded: 84% female, 85% White, and 72% ages 26–49. Participants reported consuming 26.8 alcohol drinks on 12.2 of the past 30 days. One-third of participants (34.1%) reported binge drinking and 7.0% reported extreme binge drinking. Participants who experienced COVID-19-related stress (versus not) reported consuming more drinks (β = 4.7; CI (0.2, 9.1); p = 0.040) and a greater number of days drinking (β = 2.4; CI (0.6, 4.1); p = 0.007). Additionally, 60% reported increased drinking but 13% reported decreased drinking, compared to pre-COVID-19. Reasons for increased drinking included increased stress (45.7%), increased alcohol availability (34.4%), and boredom (30.1%). Participants who reported being stressed by the pandemic consumed more drinks over a greater number of days, which raises concerns from both an individual and public health perspective.

Suggested Citation

  • Elyse R. Grossman & Sara E. Benjamin-Neelon & Susan Sonnenschein, 2020. "Alcohol Consumption during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey of US Adults," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(24), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:17:y:2020:i:24:p:9189-:d:459107
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    Cited by:

    1. Bo-Wen Chen & Wei-Jie Gong & Agnes Yuen-Kwan Lai & Shirley Man-Man Sit & Sai-Yin Ho & Man-Ping Wang & Nancy Xiaonan Yu & Tai-Hing Lam, 2022. "Patterns of Perceived Harms and Benefits of the COVID-19 Outbreak in Hong Kong Adults: A Latent Profile Analysis," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(7), pages 1-12, April.
    2. Aureliusz Andrzej Kosendiak & Michał Piotr Wysocki & Paweł Piotr Krysiński, 2022. "Lifestyle, Physical Activity and Dietary Habits of Medical Students of Wroclaw Medical University during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(12), pages 1-17, June.
    3. Aureliusz Kosendiak & Magdalena Król & Milena Ściskalska & Marta Kepinska, 2021. "The Changes in Stress Coping, Alcohol Use, Cigarette Smoking and Physical Activity during COVID-19 Related Lockdown in Medical Students in Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-15, December.
    4. Marisa R. Eastman & Jessica M. Finlay & Lindsay C. Kobayashi, 2021. "Alcohol Use and Mental Health among Older American Adults during the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(8), pages 1-13, April.
    5. Sears, James, 2024. "To Reduce or to Structure: on Mixed Method Complementarity," 2024 Annual Meeting, July 28-30, New Orleans, LA 345096, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    6. Kim Meijer & Trynke Hoekstra & Pim Brandenbarg & COVID-19 Disability Survey Group & ReSpAct 2.0 Group & Femke Hoekstra, 2022. "The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Physical Activity and Social Isolation among Adults with Physical Disabilities Living in Canada and The Netherlands," Disabilities, MDPI, vol. 2(4), pages 1-17, December.
    7. Wei Song & Taiyang Zhao & Ershuai Huang, 2022. "How Does the COVID-19 Pandemic Affect People’s Willingness to Pay for Health in the Short and Long Term? A Longitudinal Study during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic in China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-11, January.
    8. Rachel Pomazal & Kristen M. C. Malecki & Laura McCulley & Noah Stafford & Mikayla Schowalter & Amy Schultz, 2023. "Changes in Alcohol Consumption during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Evidence from Wisconsin," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(7), pages 1-14, March.
    9. Karen G Chartier & Jeanine P D Guidry & Catherine A Lee & Thomas D Buckley, 2021. "At home and online during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic and the relationship to alcohol consumption in a national sample of U.S. adults," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(11), pages 1-19, November.
    10. Bronwyn Myers & Tara Carney & Jennifer Rooney & Samantha Malatesta & Laura F. White & Charles D. H. Parry & Tara C. Bouton & Elizabeth J. Ragan & Charles Robert Horsburgh & Robin M. Warren & Karen R. , 2021. "Alcohol and Tobacco Use in a Tuberculosis Treatment Cohort during South Africa’s COVID-19 Sales Bans: A Case Series," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-9, May.
    11. Margarida Vasconcelos & Alberto Crego & Rui Rodrigues & Natália Almeida-Antunes & Eduardo López-Caneda, 2021. "Effects of the COVID-19 Mitigation Measures on Alcohol Consumption and Binge Drinking in College Students: A Longitudinal Survey," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(18), pages 1-14, September.
    12. Kevin Bradley Wright & Rochelle Davidson Mhonde, 2022. "Faith-Based Community Members, Family, and COVID-19: The Role of Family Cohesion, Social Support, and Spiritual Support on Quality of Life, Depression, and COVID-19-Prevention Behaviors," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-12, September.
    13. Dávid Líška & Erika Liptáková & Miroslava Barcalová & Ľubomír Skladaný, 2024. "The impact of alcohol consumption on the quality of life of college students: a study from three Slovak universities," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-8, December.
    14. Fabrizio Cedrone & Giuseppe Buomprisco & Mucci Nicola & Giuseppe La Torre & Hector Nieto & Roberto Perri & Vincenzo Montagna & Emilio Greco & Simone De Sio, 2022. "Alcohol Use during COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey among Healthcare and Office Workers in Italy," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(19), pages 1-10, October.

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