Exploring the relationship between solitary drinking and living without other adults on alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIMS: The COVID-19 pandemic presents the opportunity to learn about solitary drinking as many people were forced to spend time at home. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between solitary drinking and living without other adults on alcohol consumption. METHODS: A longitudinal study with four survey waves (between May and November 2020) obtained seven-day drinking diary data from Australian adults living in New South Wales. In May, a convenience sample of 586 participants (Mage = 35.3, SD = 14.8; 65.3% women) completed the first wave. Participants then completed a survey in June (n = 319, 54.4% response rate), July/August (n = 225, 38.4% response rate), and November (n = 222, 37.9% response rate). Information about alcohol consumption including risky drinking (more than four drinks on one occasion), household structure, solitary drinking, and demographics were collected. We conducted random-effects panel bivariate and multivariable regression analyses predicting the number of standard drinks and risky drinking. RESULTS: Participants with solitary drinking occasions consumed more and had more risky drinking occasions than participants with no solitary drinking occasions, which was also found to be the case during lockdown. Living without other adults was associated with less consumption and less risky drinking than living with other adults. However, participants who lived without other adults and had frequent solitary drinking occasions (solitary drinking in >50% drinking occasions) reported more consumption than participants without a solitary drinking occasion. CONCLUSIONS: Individuals who consume alcohol alone and live without other adults or spend long periods of time at home may be more at risk of alcohol-related harm.

How did COVID-19 restrictions impact alcohol consumption in Australia? A longitudinal study.

INTRODUCTION: The state of Victoria experienced more stringent public health measures than other Australian states during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated how these public health measures impacted: (i) total alcohol consumption; (ii) location-specific consumption; and (iii) consumption among different pre-pandemic drinking groups, in Victoria compared to the rest of Australia during the first year of the pandemic. METHOD: A longitudinal study with six survey waves was conducted between April and December 2020. A total of 775 adults completed data on alcohol use, including detailed consumption location information. Based on their 2019 consumption, participants were classified into low, moderate or high-risk groups. Data were analysed descriptively. RESULTS: There was no difference in total alcohol consumption from 2019 levels among Victorians and those from the other Australian states when Victoria was the only state in lockdown. Location-specific consumption was relatively similar for Victoria and the rest of Australia, with an increase in home drinking, and a decrease in consumption in someone else's home, licensed premises and public spaces during lockdown compared with 2019. Participants in the high-risk group reported a reduction of two standard drinks per day in November 2020 compared with 2019. In contrast, consumption remained relatively stable for participants in the low and moderate-risk groups once accounting for regression to the mean. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Contrary to expectations, restrictions on licensed premises appeared to impact high-risk drinkers more than low and moderate-risk drinkers. Reducing availability of on-premise alcohol may be an effective way to reduce consumption in heavier drinkers.

Examining the association between psychological distress and alcohol use in Australian adolescents over a period of declining consumption.

INTRODUCTION: Youth drinking rates have declined over the past 15 years while self-reported psychological distress has increased, despite a well-recognised positive relationship between the two. The current study aimed to identify changes in the relationship between psychological distress and alcohol use in adolescents from 2007 to 2019. METHODS: This study used survey responses from 6543 Australians aged 14-19 years who completed the National Drug Strategy Household Survey in 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 or 2019. Logistic and multivariable linear regressions with interactions (psychological distress × survey wave) predicted any alcohol consumption, short-term risk and average quantity of standard drinks consumed per day. RESULTS: Psychological distress was a positive predictor of alcohol use and this association remained stable across survey waves as alcohol consumption decreased. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between distress and alcohol consumption remained relatively steady, even as youth drinking declined and distress increased. The proportion of drinkers experiencing distress did not increase as consumption rates dropped, suggesting that the decline in youth drinking is occurring independently of the increase in self-reported and diagnosed mental health issues.

Why do adults drink alcohol? Development and validation of a Drinking Motives Questionnaire for adults.

OBJECTIVE: The Drinking Motives Questionnaire-Revised (DMQ-R; Cooper, 1994) is frequently used to assess adult drinking motives despite being designed for younger drinkers. This study aimed to develop and validate a Drinking Motives Questionnaire for Adults (DMQ-A). METHOD: A convenience sample of 1,617 adults (25-65-year-olds; Mage = 51.4, SD = 10.8; 67% female) and 145 young-adults (18-24-year-olds; Mage = 20.8, SD = 2.0; 72% female) who reported drinking at least monthly were asked how often they consumed alcohol due to 53 drinking motives. Using item endorsement and exploratory factor analysis on half of the split sample of adults, 20 items were selected for the DMQ-A. RESULTS: The DMQ-A was found to have social, coping, confidence, taste, and enhancement dimensions. The DMQ-R conformity dimension was replaced by one of drinking for confidence and a novel drinking for taste dimension was identified. The second half of the split sample was used to demonstrate the DMQ-A's adequate model fit (CFI = 0.93), good internal consistency (α = .81-.90) and 6-month test-retest reliability (r = .65-.74), correlation with corresponding DMQ-R dimensions (r = .90-.96), and better model fit for adults than young-adults (ΔCFI = .03). The DMQ-A also demonstrated higher endorsement for each of its dimensions and better model fit than the DMQ-R among adults (ΔCFI = .05). Like the DMQ-R, DMQ-A coping and enhancement dimensions correlated with alcohol consumption and harmful drinking (r = .19-.42). CONCLUSIONS: The DMQ-A is a promising tool for future research or clinical application involving adult alcohol use. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Examining the relationship between alcohol consumption, psychological distress and COVID-19 related circumstances: An Australian longitudinal study in the first year of the pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between alcohol consumption, psychological distress and COVID-19 related circumstances (being in lockdown, working from home, providing home-schooling and being furloughed) over the first eight months of the pandemic in Australia. METHOD: A longitudinal study with six survey waves over eight months with a convenience sample of 770 participants. Participants were aged 18 or over, lived in Australia and consumed alcohol at least monthly. Demographic data was obtained in the first wave. Data on alcohol consumption, psychological distress (Kessler 10), and COVID-19 related circumstances (being in lockdown, working from home, providing home-schooling and being furloughed) were obtained in each survey wave. RESULTS: Results from the fixed-effect bivariate regression analyses show that participants reported greater alcohol consumption when they had high psychological distress compared to when they had low psychological distress. Meanwhile, participants reported greater alcohol consumption when they worked from home compared to when they did not work from home. Participants also reported greater alcohol consumption when they provided home-schooling compared with when they did not provide home-schooling. The fixed-effect panel multivariable regression analyses indicated a longitudinal relationship between higher psychological distress and providing home-schooling on increased alcohol consumption. CONCLUSION: Broader drinking trends during the COVID-19 pandemic typically indicate increases and decreases in drinking among different members of the population. This study demonstrates that in Australia, it was those who experienced psychological distress and specific impacts of COVID-19 restrictions that were more likely to increase their drinking.

The who and what of women's drinking: Examining risky drinking and associated socio-demographic factors among women aged 40-65 years in Australia.

INTRODUCTION: Recent trends in Australian national survey data show an increase in alcohol use among middle-aged people, amidst declines in alcohol use among other population groups. There is limited research, however, on middle-aged women's alcohol use. This study aimed to examine patterns in alcohol use among Australian women aged 40-65 and the associated sociodemographic and contextual factors. METHODS: Cross-sectional data from six waves of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (2001-2019). We estimated the prevalence of long-term risky drinking (>2 Australian standard drinks per day) and risky-single occasion drinking (>5 Australian standard drinks on one occasion) among middle-aged women. Logistic regression models were estimated using 2019 data to examine demographic characteristics and contextual factors associated with alcohol use. RESULTS: Since 2001, there has been a statistically significant increase in long-term risky drinking and risky-single occasion drinking amongst middle-aged women in Australia. Educational attainment, marital status and employment status were negatively associated with risky drinking, whereas rurality, age and location of use were positively associated with risky drinking. Beverage type was both positively and negatively associated with risky drinking. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Given the significant increase in alcohol use amongst middle-aged women in Australia, prevention efforts are needed for this group, which may focus in particular on home drinking and the impact of rurality on alcohol use.

A time-series analysis of the association between alcohol and suicide in Australia.

INTRODUCTION: 800,000 people die by suicide every year according to World Health Organisation data. Studies have shown associations between alcohol consumption and suicide, with most demonstrating that alcohol consumption increases suicide risk. However, some studies from high consumption countries show results in the opposite direction. This present study examines the association between per capita (PC) alcohol consumption and same year suicide mortality in Australia, and tests for lag effects, between 1910 and 2017. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Age and gender-specific autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models were used to examine associations between alcohol consumption PC and suicide mortality rates. Associations between unemployment, divorce, barbiturates access, and the Great Depression and World War II, and suicide were examined. RESULTS: A 10% increase in PC alcohol consumption was associated with a 5% and 5.1% decrease in overall and male suicide mortality respectively in the same year. However, a 10% increase in PC alcohol consumption was associated with an 5.1% and 5.4% increase in overall and male suicide mortality respectively 12 years later. This association differed among age groups and was significant in the male population only. Unemployment, divorce, the Great Depression and WW2, and barbiturates access were significantly associated with same year suicide mortality. DISCUSSION: Contemporaneous alcohol consumption was associated with decreased suicide mortality, but was also associated with an increased risk of suicide 12 years later. Unemployment and barbiturates access were associated with an increased risk of suicide. Interventions and policies that address chronic alcohol consumption and support the unemployed may reduce suicide mortality.

Declines in alcohol consumption in Australia: some challenges to the theory of collectivity.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: There is significant debate about whether or not changes in per-capita alcohol consumption occur collectively across the entire distribution of drinking. This study used data from a decade of declining drinking in Australia to test the collectivity of drinking trends. DESIGN: Repeated cross-sectional surveys (2010, 2013, 2016, 2019), analysed with quantile regression techniques assessing trends in drinking for 20 quantile groups. SETTING: Australia. PARTICIPANTS: A general population sample (total n = 85 891; males = 39 182, females = 46 709) aged 14 years and over. MEASUREMENTS: Past-year volume of alcohol consumed was measured using standard graduated frequency survey questions. Models were stratified by sex and age group. FINDINGS: Throughout the whole population, alcohol consumption had declined in all percentile groups, with the largest proportional declines evident for light and moderate drinkers [e.g. drinkers in the 25th percentile declined by 32.7%; 95% confidence interval (CI) = -41.6, -22.3% per wave]. Broadly collective declines were also found for younger men and women with significant declines in every percentile group, but older groups showed some evidence of polarization. For example, women aged 45-64 years significantly increased their consumption (2.9% per wave, 95% CI = 0.3-5.5%), while consumption for those in the 25th percentile fell significantly (-16.7%, 95% CI = -27.6, -4.2%). CONCLUSIONS: The declines in Australian drinking since 2010 have included important deviations from the collectivity predicted by Skog's influential theory of collectivity of drinking, with markedly different patterns evident among different demographic groups.

Harms to children from the financial effects of others' drinking.

BACKGROUND: Many children live with parents who drink and experience little impact, but risky or heavy drinking by caregivers can result in a range of harms to children. Alcohol-related financial harms which directly impact children's needs in general populations have been seldom studied. OBJECTIVE: The study aims to identify the prevalence and correlates of financial harms from others' drinking affecting children's needs in nine lower- and middle-income (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs). METHODS: Participants (n = 7,669) from Brazil, Chile, Ireland, Lao PDR, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Thailand, USA and Viet Nam were aged 18-64 years and living with children. Logistic regression and meta-analyses explored differences in financial harm affecting children among LMICs and HICs, adjusting for gender, education, rurality and drinking pattern. RESULTS: In around one-tenth to a third of households in the nine countries, children lived with people who drank riskily. Less than 1% to 8% of respondents reported that their children's needs had not been met because of financial harm from others' drinking. Women reported significantly greater harm to children due to the financial effects of others' drinking than men in the USA, Nigeria and Viet Nam. When the participant reported drinking riskily, and particularly when families included someone who drank heavily, increased odds of financial harm from others' drinking affecting children were identified. CONCLUSION: That children's needs were not met due to financial harm from others' drinking was reported by three percent (<1 to 8%) of caregivers across the nine countries, representing a problem for large numbers of children, particularly in the low and middle-income countries studied. When a person's drinking was reported to be heavy or harmful within the family, the risk that children's needs were affected by the financial impacts of others' drinking was significantly greater.

Shifts in alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic: early indications from Australia.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol consumption is currently unclear. This study aimed to provide early estimates of how stress and demographics will interact with shifts in harmful alcohol consumption from before the COVID-19 outbreak to 2 months into social distancing. DESIGN: Cross-sectional convenience sample. SETTING: Australia. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 1684 Australians aged 18-65 years who drink at least monthly. MEASUREMENTS: Items from the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and the stress subscale of the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS). FINDINGS: Overall, harmful drinking decreased during social distancing measures in our sample [2019 score = 8.2, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 7.9-8.4; during the pandemic = 7.3, 95% CI = 7.1-7.6]. Younger drinkers, particularly young women, decreased their consumption the most, but there was a small increase in consumption in middle-aged women. Drinkers experiencing high levels of stress also reported a relatively higher shift in harmful consumption compared with those with low levels of stress (ß = 0.65, P = 0.003), despite reporting a small decrease overall. CONCLUSIONS: The closure of licensed premises and social distancing measures in Australia in response to the COVID-19 outbreak appear to have reduced harmful alcohol consumption in younger drinkers, particularly young women.

Purchasing, consumption, demographic and socioeconomic variables associated with shifts in alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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 AND METHODS: 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 AND CONCLUSIONS: 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.

Examining beverage-specific trends in youth drinking in Australia before and after the implementation of the alcopops tax.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Alcohol consumption among young Australians has declined markedly since the early 2000s. As yet, there has been no data on how this decline has been spread across different beverages and instead high-level survey data with significant potential for recall and other bias has been used. Trends in beverage choice among young people following an increase in the 'alcopops' tax have also not received much attention. DESIGN AND METHODS: Data on 'yesterday' drinking occasions were obtained from five waves (2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016) of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey. A total of 23 536 respondents aged 14-29 years were included in this study. Descriptive and regression analyses were conducted to explore trends in alcohol consumption and changes in beverage preferences. RESULTS: Youth drinking declined by 45% across the study period, with declines of 66% in premix, 48% in spirits, 46% in beer and 33% in wine. Consumption of premix was significantly lower in 2013 and 2016 compared to 2007 amongst the overall sample, males, females, respondents aged 14-21 and 22-29 years, light and heavy drinkers. Significant reductions were also observed in the consumption of premix immediately following the tax (2010) for the younger age group, males and light drinkers. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Youth consumption of alcohol has declined during the study period with significant variation across beverage types. We found some evidence of a separate impact for the alcopops tax, although for some groups, declines in premix consumption occurred well after the implementation of the tax.

Time of Year Effects on Self-Reported Estimates of Past-Year Alcohol Consumption.

AIMS: This study examines the relationship between survey month completion and self-reported alcohol consumption in the last 12 months. It is hypothesized that respondents that complete the survey in the warmer months of the year will report greater alcohol consumption over the last 12 months compared with surveys completed in the colder months. METHODS: The alcohol consumption data was obtained from three waves of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS) from 2010, 2013 and 2016, between May and November each year (n = 74,252). The associations between month of survey completion and three measures of past-year alcohol consumption were examined using a mix of linear and logistic regression. All models were adjusted for survey year, mode of administration, state of residence, rurality, Socio-Economic Indexes for Areas (SEIFA), sex and age. RESULTS: Results varied by drinking measure. In general, there were higher estimates for respondents completing the survey in November and lower estimates in August and September. CONCLUSIONS: The results in this study demonstrate the significant relationship between month of survey completion and alcohol consumption in the last 12 months. Seasonal variations in alcohol consumption have the potential to impact respondents' accurate recall of alcohol consumption in the last 12 months and changes to survey timing have the potential to bias trend estimates of drinking behaviour.

Has the Relationship Between Alcohol Consumption and Alcohol-Related Risky Behaviour Changed in Australia? An Exploratory Study.

AIMS: Recent studies have pointed to diverging trends between alcohol consumption and harm rates. One explanation for these trends is the normalization hypothesis, which suggests that declines in alcohol consumption will result in more risky behaviour by the remaining drinkers as consumption becomes a more deviant behaviour. We examine how the relationship between alcohol consumption and risky behaviour has changed in Australia over a fourteen-year period. METHODS: Risky behaviour and alcohol consumption were obtained from six waves (2001, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016) of the National Drug Strategy Household Survey (NDSHS). 115,115 respondents aged over 14 were included in this study. Poisson regression analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between risky behaviour and two measures of alcohol consumption (average volume per day and risky drinking occasions per month) over six NDSHS waves. Interaction terms between year and the drinking variables were included in each model to identify shifts in this relationship between consumption and harm. RESULTS: Respondents with greater alcohol consumption were more likely to report risky behaviour (IRR = 1.15, 95% CI = 1.13-1.16). Risky behaviour generally declined over time however older participants reported more risky behaviour over time. Generally, the relationship between alcohol consumption and risky behaviour has remained stable, with some very minor upward shifts for young drinkers (aged 14-29; highest IRR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01-1.04). CONCLUSIONS: We found little support for the normalization hypothesis-risky behaviour tends to shift consistently along with drinking levels. Results suggest that recent reductions in alcohol consumption should lead to reductions in rates of harm.