Abstract
The significant proportion of the Russian population are active online social media users. Changes in alcohol consumption in this target group during the COVID-19 pandemic remain understudied. The aim of this survey was to investigate changes in alcohol consumption and factors associated with the increase in alcohol use among online social media users in Russia during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. An online survey was conducted among 1,518 users of online social networking services popular in Russia from June to September 2020. The survey revealed that 35.4% of men and 25.6% of women started drinking more frequently during the first months of the pandemic; 24.9% of men and 17.7% of women increased their usual consumption (volume) of alcohol on a typical drinking occasion, whereas 28.5% of men and 27.9% of women increased the frequency of heavy episodic drinking. Adjusted binary logistic regression analysis revealed a positive association between the increase in the frequency of alcohol consumption and the following factors: age from 18 to 29 years (OR: 1.710; 95% CI: 1.002–2.917), severe restrictions in everyday private life (OR: 3.127; 95% CI: 1.011–9.675) and severe negative professional or financial consequences due to the spread of SARS-CoV-2 (OR: 2.247; 95% CI: 1.131–4.465). The odds of an increase in the frequency of heavy episodic drinking were more than twice higher (OR: 2.329; 95% CI: 1.001–5.428) among those who had experienced severe negative consequences of the pandemic to their professional and financial situation. Higher typical frequency and usual consumption (volume) of alcohol on a typical drinking occasion and higher typical frequency of heavy episodic drinking before the pandemic were positively significantly associated with the increase in these parameters of alcohol consumption during the first months of the pandemic. In times of large-scale epidemics and public health crises, it is advisable to consider the possibility of implementing screening and brief interventions, including via online social media, to prevent problems associated with alcohol use.
Highlights
The significant proportion of the Russian population are active online social media users
In the first months of the pandemic, 35.4% of men and 25.6% of women had used alcohol more frequently than before the pandemic; 24.9% of men and 17.7% of women had increased usual consumption of alcohol on a typical drinking occasion; the frequency of heavy episodic drinking had increased in 28.5% of men and 27.9% of women
During the first months of the COVID‐19 pandemic, over onethird of male and quarter of female online social media users in Russia increased the frequency of drinking
Summary
The significant proportion of the Russian population are active online social media users. Changes in alcohol consumption in this target group during the COVID‐19 pandemic remain understudied The aim of this survey was to investigate changes in alcohol consumption and factors associated with the increase in alcohol use among online social media users in Russia during the first months of the COVID‐19 pandemic. The survey revealed that 35.4% of men and 25.6% of women started drinking more frequently during the first months of the pandemic; 24.9% of men and 17.7% of women increased their usual consumption (volume) of alcohol on a typical drinking occasion, whereas 28.5% of men and 27.9% of women increased the frequency of heavy episodic drinking. ФАКТОРЫ, ВЗАИМОСВЯЗАННЫЕ С РОСТОМ ПОТРЕБЛЕНИЯ АЛКОГОЛЯ В ПЕРВЫЕ МЕСЯЦЫ ПАНДЕМИИ COVID‐19 СРЕДИ ПОЛЬЗОВАТЕЛЕЙ СОЦИАЛЬНЫХ ОНЛАЙН-СЕТЕЙ В РОССИИ. Целью исследования было оценить изменения потребления алкоголя и факторов, связанных с ростом его потребления, в первые месяцы пандемии COVID‐19 среди пользователей социальных онлайн-сетей в России. Более высокие привычные частота употребления алкоголя, разовый объем употребляемого алкоголя и частота эпизодического употребления алкоголя в больших разовых количествах до пандемии были положительно статистически значимо связаны с ростом этих параметров потребления алкоголя в первые месяцы пандемии
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
