Abstract
To investigate: (1) alcohol use during the pandemic in the UK; and (2) the extent to which poor inhibitory control and/or stress were associated with any change in alcohol use or hazardous drinking.
Cross-sectional online survey administered between 2 and 31 May 2020.
UK.
13,453 respondents aged 19 – 62 years comprising participants of four nationally representative birth cohorts (19, 30, 50 and 62-years old).
Change in alcohol use and risk of alcohol-related harm due to hazardous drinking and change in stress since the start of the Coronavirus outbreak; inhibitory control (impatience and risk-taking); and sociodemographic characteristics, including diagnosed or suspected COVID-19, and key worker status.
Most respondents reported consuming/feeling the same amount or less alcohol/stress. However, a significant minority, particularly among thirty-(29.08%) and fifty-year-olds (26.67%), reported drinking more, and between 32.23% and 45.02% of respondents reported feeling more stressed depending on cohort. Being female was associated with an increased likelihood of reporting heightened stress (OR19 = 1.54, 95% CI 1.08 to 2.20; OR30 = 1.93, 95% CI 1.39 to 2.70; OR50 = 1.62, 95% CI 1.37 to 1.92; OR62 = 2.03, 95% CI 1.66 to 2.48). Stress was associated with hazardous drinking among 30-year-olds (OR = 3.77, 95% CI 1.15 to 12.28). Impatience was associated with both increased alcohol use (1.14, 95% CI 1.06, 1.24) and hazardous drinking (1.20, 95% CI 1.05, 1.38) among 19-year-olds. Risk-taking was associated with hazardous drinking for 30-year-olds (OR = 1.18, 95% CI 1.05, 1.32).
These data highlight concerns about the UK government’s stance on the ‘essential’ nature of off-premises alcohol sales during the lockdown, particularly from a public health perspective, when considering those at risk of alcohol misuse and alcohol-related harm.