Alcohol Consumption during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Survey of US Adults

Emerging but limited evidence suggests that alcohol consumption has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study assessed: (1) whether drinking behaviors changed during the pandemic; and, (2) how those changes were impacted by COVID-19-related stress. We conducted a cross-sectional online survey with a convenience sample of U.S. adults over 21 years in May 2020. We conducted adjusted linear regressions to assess COVID-19 stress and alcohol consumption, adjusting for gender, race, ethnicity, age, and household income. A total of 832 responded: 84% female, 85% White, and 72% ages 26–49. Participants reported consuming 26.8 alcohol drinks on 12.2 of the past 30 days. One-third of participants (34.1%) reported binge drinking and 7.0% reported extreme binge drinking. Participants who experienced COVID-19-related stress (versus not) reported consuming more drinks (β = 4.7; CI (0.2, 9.1); p = 0.040) and a greater number of days drinking (β = 2.4; CI (0.6, 4.1); p = 0.007). Additionally, 60% reported increased drinking but 13% reported decreased drinking, compared to pre-COVID-19. Reasons for increased drinking included increased stress (45.7%), increased alcohol availability (34.4%), and boredom (30.1%). Participants who reported being stressed by the pandemic consumed more drinks over a greater number of days, which raises concerns from both an individual and public health perspective.

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A cross-sectional survey of psychological distress in a Mexican sample during the second phase of the COVID-19 pandemic

10.31219/osf.io/wzqkh ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Aldebarán Toledo-Fernández ◽

Diana Betancourt-Ocampo ◽

Héctor Romo-Parra ◽

Ernesto Reyes-Zamorano ◽

Alejandro González-González

Keyword(s):

Psychological Distress ◽

Online Survey ◽

Second Phase ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Baseline Measure ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Impact Of Event Scale ◽

Event Scale ◽

Related Stress ◽

The Impact

The objectives of this study were to describe severity of psychological distress (event-related stress, anxiety, and depression) during the second stage of COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, and to explore associations between the indicators of psychological distress, sociodemographic characteristics and specific concerns about COVID-19. This report serves as a baseline measure of a longitudinal project to evaluate progression of psychological distress across stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico. An online survey was conducted in the State of Mexico from April 8th -18th, 2020, in a sample of men and women who are beneficiaries of a welfare institution in the region. Variables were measured with the Impact of Event Scale-6, Patient Health Questionnaire-9, General Anxiety Disoder-7, and a questionnaire of concerns about COVID-19. A total of 5974 participants were analyzed. Moderate levels of psychological distress (with 23.6% of participants meeting significant event-related stress, but mild levels of depression and anxiety) were found, as well as high values in all concerns about COVID-19, especially regarding financial disruption, worsening of local security and concern of a family member becoming infected. These concerns associated mild-to-moderately with the indicators of psychological distress. Higher values of event-related distress were found in women, individuals with higher educational attainment and those with any current high-risk medical diagnosis, though the effect sizes were mild. Though psychological distress and concerns about COVID-19 have reached significant levels during the pandemic in Mexico, overall, they have not yet reached dysfunctional levels.

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Medical cannabis use in the Australian community following introduction of legal access: The 2018-2019 Online Cross-Sectional Cannabis as Medicine Survey (CAMS-18)

10.21203/rs.2.24266/v2 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Nicholas Lintzeris ◽

Llewellyn Mills ◽

Anastasia Suraev ◽

Maria Bravo ◽

Thomas Arkell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Chronic Pain ◽

Online Survey ◽

Medical Profession ◽

Cannabis Use ◽

Medical Cannabis ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Plant Matter

Abstract Background: In 2016 the Australian federal government passed legislation enabling a range of cannabis-based products to be prescribed to patients by registered healthcare professionals. An online survey conducted immediately prior to these legislative changes found that the vast majority of respondents at the time were illicitly sourcing cannabis plant matter, smoking was the preferred route of administration, and mental health, chronic pain, and sleep conditions were the most frequently cited reasons for medical cannabis use. This manuscript reports the results of a follow-up survey conducted in 2018-2019, the Cannabis As Medicine Survey (CAMS-18). The goal of this second questionnaire was to examine patterns of use and consumer perspectives regarding medical cannabis use in Australia, two years after the introduction of legal access pathways. Methods: Anonymous online cross-sectional survey with convenience sample, recruited mainly through online media between September 2018 and March 2019. Participants were adults (18 years or over) residing in Australia who reported using a cannabis product for self-identified therapeutic reasons during the preceding 12 months. The survey measured consumer characteristics; indications and patterns of medical cannabis use; routes and frequency of administration; perceived benefits and harms; experiences and preferred models of access to medical cannabis. Results: Data were available for 1388 respondents. The main categories of condition being treated with medical cannabis were pain (36.4%), mental health (32.8%), sleep (9.2%), neurological (5.2%) and cancer (3.8%). Respondents reported using medical cannabis on 15.8 (11.2) days in the past 28, by inhaled (71.4%) or oral (26.5%) routes and spending AUD$82.27 ($101.27) per week. There were high levels of self-reported effectiveness, but also high rates of side effects. There was uncertainty regarding the composition of illicit cannabinoid products and concerns regarding their possible contamination. Few respondents (2.7%) had accessed legally prescribed medical cannabis, with the main perceived barriers being cost, disinterest from the medical profession, and stigma regarding cannabis use. Conclusions: Chronic pain, mental health and sleep remain the main clinical conditions for which consumers report using medical cannabis. Despite two years of legal availability, most consumers in Australia reported accessing illicit cannabis products, with uncertainty regarding the quality or composition of cannabis products.

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Are former heavy drinkers in the UK less likely to identify as being in recovery compared to those in the USA? A pilot test

Substance Abuse Treatment Prevention and Policy ◽

10.1186/s13011-021-00412-8 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 16 (1) ◽

Author(s):

John A Cunningham ◽

Alexandra Godinho

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Alcohol Dependence ◽

Preliminary Test ◽

Apparent Difference ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Heavy Drinkers ◽

The Usa ◽

The Uk

Abstract Background To provide a preliminary test of the prediction that fewer former heavy drinkers will identify themselves as being in recovery in the UK versus the USA. Methods An online cross-sectional survey was completed by a convenience sample of former heavy drinkers. This sample was identified from participants recruited to complete a questionnaire about alcohol consumption. The recruitment advertisement specified that the participants did not need to drink alcohol. The survey included items assessing self-reported current and past levels of alcohol consumption, alcohol dependence at time of heaviest alcohol consumption (ICD-10 criteria), and questions regarding identifying as currently or ever being in recovery taken from a survey by Kelly et al. (2018). Results Out of 5002 participants who completed the questionnaire, 150 were identified as former heavy drinkers from the UK or the USA. The proportion of participants reporting alcohol dependence, and the proportion of participants reporting past year abstinence, did not differ significantly between the UK and the USA (p = .841 and 0.300 respectively). Compared to participants from the UK, participants in the USA were more likely to report that they had a problem with drinking but now no longer do (24.1 % vs. 56.0 %; p < .001), and that they currently identified (4.2 % vs. 21.2 %; p = .003) or ever identified (7.4 % vs. 30.2 %; p = .001) as being in recovery. Conclusions Identifying as being in recovery appears more common in the USA than the UK among former heavy drinkers. This apparent difference in prevalence may reflect historic differences in treatment services offered in these countries, particularly with respect to the predominance of a 12-step approach in the USA. These findings should be replicated in a representative sample.

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How big is your bubble? Characteristics of self-isolating household units (‘bubbles’) during the COVID-19 Alert Level 4 period in New Zealand: a cross-sectional survey

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-042464 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. e042464

Author(s):

Nethmi Kearns ◽

Nick Shortt ◽

Ciléin Kearns ◽

Allie Eathorne ◽

Mark Holliday ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Social Media ◽

New Zealand ◽

Online Survey ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Vulnerable People ◽

Social Media Platforms ◽

The Mean ◽

Bubble Sizes

ObjectiveTo characterise the self-isolating household units (bubbles) during the COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown in New Zealand.Design, setting and participantsIn this cross-sectional study, an online survey was distributed to a convenience sample via Facebook advertising and the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand’s social media platforms and mailing list. Respondents were able to share a link to the survey via their own social media platforms and by email. Results were collected over 6 days during Alert Level 4 from respondents living in New Zealand, aged 16 years and over.Main outcomes measuresThe primary outcome was the mean size of a self-isolating household unit or bubble. Secondary outcomes included the mean number of households in each bubble, the proportion of bubbles containing essential workers and/or vulnerable people, and the mean number of times the home was left each week.Results14 876 surveys were included in the analysis. The mean (SD) bubble size was 3.58 (4.63) people, with mean (SD) number of households 1.26 (0.77). The proportion of bubbles containing one or more essential workers, or one or more vulnerable persons was 45.3% and 42.1%, respectively. The mean number of times individual bubble members left their home in the previous week was 12.9 (12.4). Bubbles that contained at least one vulnerable individual had fewer outings over the previous week compared with bubbles that did not contain a vulnerable person. The bubble sizes were similar by respondent ethnicity.ConclusionIn this New Zealand convenience sample, bubble sizes were small, mostly limited to one household, and a high proportion contained essential workers and/or vulnerable people. Understanding these characteristics from a country which achieved a low COVID-19 infection rate may help inform public health interventions during this and future pandemics.

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The accuracy, completeness and timeliness of discharge medication information and implementing medication reconciliation: A cross-sectional survey of general practitioners

Australian Journal of General Practice ◽

10.31128/ajgp-04-20-5375 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 49 (12) ◽

pp. 854-858

Author(s):

Sharon Latimer ◽

Jayne Hewitt ◽

Trudy Teasdale ◽

Carl de Wet ◽

Brigid M Gillespie

Keyword(s):

Hospital Discharge ◽

General Practitioners ◽

Medication Reconciliation ◽

Online Survey ◽

Improve Patient Safety ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Medication Information ◽

Discharge Medication

Background and objectives General practitioners (GPs) require accurate medication information to care for recently discharged hospital patients. Pre-discharge medication reconciliation improves the accuracy of patient medication lists that GPs receive. This study aimed to explore GPs’ perceptions of the accuracy, completeness and timeliness of hospital discharge medication information, and how they undertake medication reconciliation. Methods Using a cross-sectional online survey, quantitative and qualitative data were collected from a convenience sample of GPs practising across the Gold Coast, Australia. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and content analysis. Results Twelve GPs were recruited. Patient hospital discharge medication information was mostly accurate and complete, but delays in receiving this information affected the ability of GPs to undertake medication reconciliation. Discussion Receiving accurate and timely patient discharge medication information can reduce errors. Optimising the communication of medication information to GPs may improve patient safety.

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Perspectives of Canadian and American Cat Owners on Provision of Uncontrolled Outdoor Access for Owned Domestic Cats

Frontiers in Veterinary Science ◽

10.3389/fvets.2021.742245 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

Author(s):

Sarah M. L. Tan ◽

Sarah Jajou ◽

Anastasia C. Stellato ◽

Lee Niel

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Online Survey ◽

Random Effect ◽

The United States ◽

Future Research ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Related Factors ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Attitudes And Practices

While uncontrolled outdoor access can increase opportunities for cat physical and mental stimulation, it can also increase risks of injury and illness, and result in predation of wild birds and small animals. In Canada and the United States, it is often recommended to keep cats indoors, but many owners still provide some level of outdoor access. The objectives of this study were to use a cross-sectional survey to explore the attitudes and practices of cat owners in Canada and the United States toward outdoor access and to identify factors that influence the provision of uncontrolled outdoor access. A convenience sample of cat owners (N = 7,838) were recruited to complete an online survey, and a mixed logistic regression model was used to examine associations between cat and owner-related factors, and uncontrolled outdoor access for cats, with province/state included as a random effect. In total, 57% of owners kept their cats indoors, and 43% provided some form of outdoor access, with 21% of total owners providing uncontrolled outdoor access. Provision of uncontrolled outdoor access was associated with factors related to cat characteristics (e.g., sex, breed, presence of health, and behavioral issues), the home environment (e.g., living with other pets, types of enrichment provided), owner perspectives on outdoor access (e.g., level of agreement with potential benefits and consequence of outdoor access), and owner demographics (e.g., gender, education, area of residence). For cats with uncontrolled outdoor access, few owners reported their cats having a collar or a microchip, suggesting a need to increase education about precautionary measures to protect the welfare of outdoor cats. Results reveal how owners are caring for their cats in terms of providing outdoor access and generate hypotheses for future research to examine the influence of the owner-pet bond and educational programs on owner practices around providing outdoor access.

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Community education and health promotion activities of naturopathic practitioners: results of an international cross-sectional survey

BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies ◽

10.1186/s12906-021-03467-z ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Amie Steel ◽

Iva Lloyd

Keyword(s):

Health Promotion ◽

Patient Education ◽

Online Survey ◽

Community Education ◽

Stakeholder Involvement ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Wide Range ◽

Almost All

Abstract Background Health promotion and patient education are crucial to improved population health and are also among the core principles that define naturopathy. Yet, the activities of naturopathic practitioners (NPs) with regards to health promotion and community education have not been widely studied. Methods A cross-sectional online survey of an international convenience sample of NPs was conducted through disseminating a 15-item questionnaire prepared in five languages. Correlates of most frequently mentioned NP activities were studied. Results The survey was completed by 813 NPs representing all world regions. Almost all participants (98%) reported at least one health promotion activity. Most reported were information sheets and handouts (92.7%) or social and professional network communications (91.8%) and information talks presented to community members (84.9%). The majority of NPs (79.5%) indicated that the ‘health issues individuals in NPs’ community have said they need help with’ were a ‘very important’ consideration when they designed health promotion activities. NP characteristics associated with the likelihood of engaging in specific health promotion activities varied between activities but include gender, time since first qualification, factors considered to identify need when designing an activity, and stakeholder involvement in activity design. Conclusions Health promotion is a key activity of the global naturopathic profession. There are a wide range of patient education tools utilized by NPs.

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Alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean

Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública ◽

10.26633/rpsp.2021.52 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 45 ◽

pp. 1

Author(s):

Rodrigo Garcia-Cerde ◽

Juliana Y. Valente ◽

Ivneet Sohi ◽

Rachael Falade ◽

Zila M. Sanchez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Latin America ◽

Alcohol Consumption ◽

Online Survey ◽

Drinking Behavior ◽

Anxiety Symptoms ◽

Heavy Episodic Drinking ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Drinking Behaviors ◽

The Caribbean

Objective. To assess the association between drinking behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine, anxiety symptoms, and sociodemographic characteristics in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Method. Data was collected through a cross-sectional online survey (non-probabilistic sample) conducted by the Pan American Health Organization between May 22 and June 30, 2020, in 33 countries and two territories of LAC. Participants were 18 years of age or older and must not have traveled outside of their country since March 15, 2020 (n= 12 328, M age= 38.1 years, 65% female). Four drinking behaviors (online socializing drinking [OSD], drinking with child present [DCP], drinking before 5 p.m. [DB5]), heavy episodic drinking [HED]) were response variables, and quarantining, anxiety symptoms and sociodemographic covariables were explanatory variables. Results. Quarantine was positively associated with a higher frequency of OSD and with DCP, but negatively associated with a higher frequency of HED. Anxiety symptoms were associated with a higher frequency of HED, more OSD, and DB5. Higher incomes seemed to be more associated with all the studied drinking behaviors. Women tended to report less DB5 and less HED during the pandemic. Conclusions. Quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic seems to affect drinking behavior and mental health indicators like anxiety symptoms. This study is the first effort to measure the consequences of the quarantine on alcohol consumption and mental health in LAC during the COVID-19 pandemic. Considering the associations found, screenings and brief interventions targeting alcohol consumption and mental health are recommended.

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Medical cannabis use in the Australian community following introduction of legal access: The 2018-2019 Online Cross-Sectional Cannabis as Medicine Survey (CAMS-18)

10.21203/rs.2.24266/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Nicholas Lintzeris ◽

Llewellyn Mills ◽

Anastasia Suraev ◽

Maria Bravo ◽

Thomas Arkell ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Mental Health ◽

Chronic Pain ◽

Online Survey ◽

Medical Profession ◽

Cannabis Use ◽

Medical Cannabis ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Convenience Sample ◽

Plant Matter

Abstract Background : In 2016 the Australian federal government passed legislation enabling a range of cannabis-based products to be prescribed to patients by registered healthcare professionals. An online survey conducted immediately prior to these legislative changes found that the vast majority of respondents at the time were illicitly sourcing cannabis plant matter, smoking was the preferred route of administration, and mental health, chronic pain, and sleep conditions were the most frequently cited reasons for medical cannabis use. This manuscript reports the results of a follow-up survey conducted in 2018-2019, the Cannabis As Medicine Survey (CAMS-18). The goal of this second questionnaire was to examine patterns of use and consumer perspectives regarding medical cannabis use in Australia, two years after the introduction of legal access pathways. Methods : Anonymous online cross-sectional survey with convenience sample, recruited mainly through online media between September 2018 and March 2019. Participants were adults (18 years or over) residing in Australia who reported using a cannabis product for self-identified therapeutic reasons during the preceding 12 months. The survey measured consumer characteristics; indications and patterns of medical cannabis use; routes and frequency of administration; perceived benefits and harms; experiences and preferred models of access to medical cannabis. Results : Data were available for 1388 respondents. The main categories of condition being treated with medical cannabis were pain (36.4%), mental health (32.8%), sleep (9.2%), neurological (5.2%) and cancer (3.8%). Respondents reported using medical cannabis on 15.8 (11.2) days in the past 28, by inhaled (71.4%) or oral (26.5%) routes and spending AUD$82.27 ($101.27) per week. There were high levels of self-reported effectiveness, but also high rates of side effects. There was uncertainty regarding the composition of illicit cannabinoid products and concerns regarding their possible contamination. Few respondents (2.7%) had accessed legally prescribed medical cannabis, with the main perceived barriers being cost, dis-interest from the medical profession, and stigma regarding cannabis use. Conclusions : Chronic pain, mental health and sleep remain the main clinical conditions for which consumers report using medical cannabis. Despite two years of legal availability, most consumers in Australia reported accessing illicit cannabis products, with uncertainty regarding the quality or composition of cannabis products.

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Characterization of alcohol consumption and related problems in university students from Mexico City

Salud Mental ◽

10.17711/sm.0185-3325.2021.015 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (3) ◽

pp. 107-115

Author(s):

Roberto Cordero-Oropeza ◽

Mirna García-Méndez ◽

Martha Cordero-Oropeza ◽

Julio Javier Corona-Maldonado

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Consumption ◽

University Students ◽

Mexico City ◽

Online Survey ◽

Latent Class ◽

Latent Class Model ◽

Survey Method ◽

Human Beings ◽

Cross Sectional Survey ◽

Cross Sectional

Introduction. In Mexico, alcohol consumption is the main problem related to substance use among university students. Objective. To analyze emerging alcohol consumption patterns in students at a public university through the administration of an online survey. Method. This is a cross-sectional, survey-based study. Participants included 3,888 students from a large university in Mexico City, to whom the alcohol and sociodemographic data section of the Cuestionario de Estudiantes 2014 was electronically administered in August-September 2018 and 2019. Latent Class Analysis was applied to the data obtained. During the research, the principles, norms, and ethical precepts of research on human beings were observed. Results. The relevant variables observed were length of exposure to alcohol, excess alcohol consumption, consumption on a typical day and alcohol-related consequences, which were used to create a model with four groups: teetotalers and early drinkers without consequences, risky drinkers with consequences, experienced risky drinkers without consequences and habitual drinkers with consequences. 36.7% of the sample were classified into groups with consequences and a high likelihood of excess consumption. Discussion and conclusion. Lengthy exposure to alcohol influences measures of frequency and intensity of consumption in relation to the number of consequences suffered. This latent class model can guide the design and priority of universal, selective, or suggested preventive interventions.

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