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. 2023 Feb 22;20(5):3871.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph20053871.

Change in Alcohol Use during the Prolonged COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Psychosocial Factors: A One-Year Longitudinal Study in Japan

Nagisa Sugaya  1 , Tetsuya Yamamoto  2 , Naho Suzuki  3 , Chigusa Uchiumi  2
Affiliations

Change in Alcohol Use during the Prolonged COVID-19 Pandemic and Its Psychosocial Factors: A One-Year Longitudinal Study in Japan

Nagisa Sugaya et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

This study investigated changes in alcohol use and its related psychosocial factors during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan. Two online surveys were completed by participants between 15 and 20 June 2021 (phase 1) and 13 and 30 May 2022 (phase 2). A total of 9614 individuals participated in both phases (46% women, mean age = 50.0 ± 13.1 years) and a repeated three-way analysis of variance and multinomial logistic regression analysis were conducted. These data analyses showed that the presence of hazardous alcohol use at phase 2 was predicted by being male and unmarried, having a higher annual household income and age, having a larger social network, and displaying fewer COVID-19 prevention behaviors at phase 1. Further, the presence of potential alcoholism at phase 2 was predicted by being male, being more anxious, having a larger social network, exercising more, showing a deterioration of economic status, having more difficulties owing to a lack of daily necessities, having less healthy eating habits, and showing fewer COVID-19 prevention behaviors at phase 1. These findings suggest that psychological problems and increased work (or academic) and economic difficulties were associated with severe alcohol problems during a later stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19; alcohol use; longitudinal study.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The funders had no role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Number of COVID-19-positive cases per day in Japan. ①–④ represent the first to fourth state of emergency declarations in Japan.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Results of the simple main effect tests of the variables showing significance between the group and phase (p < 0.05).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Results of the simple main effect tests of the variables showing significance between the group and phase (p < 0.05).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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