Pandemic is more Americans looking to liquor

Tuesday, September 29, 2020 (HealthDay News)-Does the Coronavirus Pandemic Drive People to Drink?

Yes, a new US study shows, and the biggest spike in alcohol use is seen in women.

Overall, researchers have found a 14% increase in drinking frequency this spring among US adults over the age of 30 when compared to the same period last year. In women, drinking frequency increased by 17%.

However, excessive alcohol use among women really stood out. During the early months of the pandemic, women indulged in heavy drinking increased by 41%. This means drinking 4 or more times within 2 hours. This means that one in five women drinks one day more each month than it did a year ago.

“Our study found that in the early stages of COVID-19, people have heavier and more negative results, especially in the case of women, compared to their behavior a year ago. “It shows,” said research author Michael Pollard.

“Women also reported a 39% increase in alcohol-related problems, such as” I took a stupid risk “or” I didn’t do what I expected, “Polard added. ..

The survey asked more than 1,500 men and women about their drinking habits in May and June. Nearly 6 out of 10 participants in the survey were women, and about 54% were between the ages of 30 and 59.

On average, three in four adults consumed one more alcohol a month in the spring of 2020 than in the spring of 2019, according to the survey results.

Pollard, a sociologist at Rand Corporation, said the study itself did not assess the reason and did not prove that the pandemic was actually increasing alcohol use. He is a professor at the Paldiland Institute in Santa Monica, California.

However, “other studies suggest an increase in depression and anxiety early in the pandemic in the United States, and people often use alcohol to address these problems,” Pollard points out. Did.

“People evacuating home may also be bored, and drinking was an activity they could still do,” he added. “In that respect, the results are not surprising. They make sense.”

Pollard also provided some theories about changing trends among women.

“The first possibility is that women generally report higher levels of depression and anxiety than men,” he said. It may have made women particularly vulnerable to mental health problems during COVID-19, he suggested, “as well as being filled with more alcohol use to address accordingly. “.

Women generally drink less than men, according to Pollard. And that could mean that a similar surge in alcohol consumption would otherwise “represent a proportionally greater change in women than in men.”

But whatever the root cause, “these changes in alcohol consumption can adversely affect people’s physical and mental health,” Pollard warned. “It is important for healthcare professionals and the general public to be aware of these increases and their health risks.”

That concern was reiterated by Rona Sandon, Program Director of the Department of Clinical Nutrition within the Medical Professional School of the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

“More alcohol increases calories,” she said. “This can lead to weight gain due to excess alcohol calories. Also, as people drink more alcohol, they tend to eat more fat and salt, and usually unhealthy foods. “

“In the case of diabetes, alcohol can raise blood pressure, reduce the ability to control blood sugar levels, cause restless sleep, increase forgetfulness, and cause muscle loss,” Sandon said. Said.

Still, Sandon said the findings weren’t necessarily shocking.

“Given other reports of COVID shutdowns, street riots, anxiety caused by economic concerns, stress, and increased depression, I think that’s to be expected,” she said. “People are struggling with how to deal with it and may rely on alcohol to deal with and relax.”

A report by Pollard and his colleagues was published online on September 29th. JAMA Network Open..

For more information

There is more about drinking and health in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention..