Altered alcohol consumption during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown

Nutrition Journal

Bruno C. Huber¹  Jenny Schlichtiger¹  Stefan Brunner¹  Julius Steffen² 

[1] Department of Medicine I, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, University Hospital, Ziemssenstrasse 1, 80336, Munich, Germany;Department of Medicine I, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, University Hospital, Ziemssenstrasse 1, 80336, Munich, Germany;DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Partner Site Munich, Munich Heart Alliance (MHA), Marchioninistrasse 15, 81377, Munich, Germany;

关键词: SARS-CoV-2;    Alcohol misuse;    Lifestyle;    Prevention;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12937-021-00699-0

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundSince the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2019, many countries around the world have imposed lockdown measures in order to reduce virus spread. Social isolation is known to have a significant psychological impact, potentially triggering alcohol misuse in adults. In our study, we aimed to investigate the effect of COVID-19 lockdown measures on alcohol consumption in adults in Bavaria.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we enrolled 2067 participants, with 1961 young adults (mean age 23.3 ± 4.1) and 106 mature adults (mean age 66.7 ± 9.7). Participants were asked to complete a standardized questionnaire, semi-quantitatively evaluating the alcohol drinking behaviour before and during the pandemic lockdown.ResultsAfter implementation of lockdown, the alteration of alcohol consumption was significantly different between young and mature adults (p <  0.001). Among young adults, 42% reported unchanged drinking behaviour compared to 76% in the mature adult group; 44% of young adults reported to drink less compared to only 7% of mature adults. An increase in alcohol consumption was only reported by 14% of young adults and 17% of mature adults. Interestingly, in the entire cohort, the change of alcohol intake was most pronounced among moderate drinkers (> 0 to < 5 drinks/week) in both age groups (p <  0.001). Ordinal logistic regression revealed female sex, low BMI and younger age to be associated with a decrease in number of self-reported drinks/week.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic lockdown significantly affected alcohol drinking behaviour. Further studies exploring long-term effects on potential alcohol misuse and the relevance on public health are warranted.Trial registrationThe study was retrospectively registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04361877) on April 24, 2020.

【 授权许可】

CC BY