Examining how the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic affected alcohol use in different socio-demographic groups in an Australian representative longitudinal sample.
Addiction
; 2024 Aug 21.
Article
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| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-39165122
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND AIMS:
Research examining how alcohol consumption changed across different socio-demographic groups during the pandemic has largely relied upon convenience samples recruited after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to measure whether the pandemic shifted alcohol consumption in different gender, age and income groups in Australia. DESIGN, SETTING ANDPARTICIPANTS:
This was a longitudinal study using four waves (2017-20) of the annual Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey to compare pre-pandemic consumption (2017-19) with consumption in 2020. A total of 11 636 participants in Australia aged 15 years and older took part. MEASUREMENTS Participants were asked annually about their alcohol consumption, demographics and income.FINDINGS:
There was a statistically significant increase in alcohol consumption during the first year of the pandemic [incident rate ratio (IRR) = 1.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1, 1.1], largely driven by changes in drinking frequency. We found a significant difference in consumption change from pre-COVID-19 to during COVID-19 for participants aged under 55 years compared with those aged over 55 years. In addition, participants aged 15-34 reported less alcohol consumption during the pandemic than those aged 35 years and older. No significant differences were identified across gender and income groups.CONCLUSIONS:
Alcohol consumption in Australia increased during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. Survey participants aged 55 years and over seemed to be the least impacted by the public health measures introduced during the pandemic, such as the closure of licensed premises.
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Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Addiction
Asunto de la revista:
TRANSTORNOS RELACIONADOS COM SUBSTANCIAS
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article