The factors affecting alcohol drinking frequency during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Objective: To examine factors affecting alcohol drinking frequency during the COVID-19 pandemic to prevent an increase in alcohol consumption.

Methods: We used data from an online cross-sectional survey conducted in November 2020. The participants included 2,092 men and 1,526 women aged 20–64 years. They were divided into three groups according to changes in alcohol drinking frequency: “decrease,” “increase,” and “no change.” Using logistic regression analysis by gender, we investigated the relationship between these groups and the following: changes in both lifestyle habits and health awareness; and current stress, fear of COVID-19, and health literacy.

Results: Among men, changes in duration of sleep and physical activity, frequency of eating out, health awareness, decrease in the frequency of working from home, high-level stress, and high-level fear of COVID-19 were related to “increase” in the alcohol consumption group. Among women, an increase in the frequency of working from home was also related to “increase” in the alcohol consumption group. Among both genders, only in the “increase” alcohol consumption group, the fear of COVID-19 was higher than in the “no change” group (adjusted odds ratio [95%CI] among men: 1.05 [1.03 to 1.08], women: 1.05 [1.02 to 1.08]), and only in the “decrease” alcohol consumption group, health literacy was higher than in the “no change” group (adjusted odds ratio among men: 1.03 [1.01 to 1.04], women: 1.03 [1.01 to 1.05]).

Conclusion: It is important to deal with the fear of COVID-19 for preventing an increase in alcohol consumption and to increase health literacy for decreasing alcohol consumption.