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- Callinan, Sarah, et al.
(author)
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Purchasing, consumption, demographic and socioeconomic variables associated with shifts in alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic
- 2021
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In: Drug and Alcohol Review. - : Wiley. - 0959-5236 .- 1465-3362. ; 45, s. 24A-24A
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction and Aims: Restrictions introduced to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have had major impacts on the living circumstances of Australians. This paper aims to provide insight into shifts in alcohol consumption and associated factors during the epidemic. Design and Methods: A cross-sectional convenience sample of 2307 Australians aged 18 and over who drank at least monthly was recruited through social media. Respondents were asked about their alcohol consumption and purchasing in 2019 prior to the epidemic plus similar questions about their experiences in the month prior to being surveyed between 29 April and 16 May 2020. Results: Reports of average consumption before (3.53 drinks per day [3.36, 3.71 95% confidence interval]) and during (3.52 [3.34, 3.69]) the pandemic were stable. However, young men and those who drank more outside the home in 2019 reported decreased consumption during the pandemic, and people with high levels of stress and those who bulk-bought alcohol when restrictions were announced reported an increase in consumption relative to those who did not. Discussion and Conclusions: A reported increase in consumption among those experiencing more stress suggests that some people may have been drinking to cope during the epidemic. Conversely, the reported decrease in consumption among those who drank more outside of their home in 2019 suggests that closing all on-trade sales did not result in complete substitution of on-premise drinking with home drinking in this group. Monitoring of relevant subgroups to assess long-term changes in consumption in the aftermath of the epidemic is recommended.
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| 2. |
- Miller, Mia, et al.
(author)
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A time-series analysis of the association between alcohol and suicide in Australia
- 2022
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In: Drug And Alcohol Dependence. - : Elsevier BV. - 0376-8716 .- 1879-0046. ; 231
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: 800,000 people die by suicide every year according to World Health Organisation data. Studies have shown associations between alcohol consumption and suicide, with most demonstrating that alcohol consumption increases suicide risk. However, some studies from high consumption countries show results in the opposite direction. This present study examines the association between per capita (PC) alcohol consumption and same year suicide mortality in Australia, and tests for lag effects, between 1910 and 2017.Materials and methods: Age and gender-specific autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models were used to examine associations between alcohol consumption PC and suicide mortality rates. Associations between unemployment, divorce, barbiturates access, and the Great Depression and World War II, and suicide were examined.Results: A 10% increase in PC alcohol consumption was associated with a 5% and 5.1% decrease in overall and male suicide mortality respectively in the same year. However, a 10% increase in PC alcohol consumption was associated with an 5.1% and 5.4% increase in overall and male suicide mortality respectively 12 years later. This association differed among age groups and was significant in the male population only. Unemployment, divorce, the Great Depression and WW2, and barbiturates access were significantly associated with same year suicide mortality.Discussion: Contemporaneous alcohol consumption was associated with decreased suicide mortality, but was also associated with an increased risk of suicide 12 years later. Unemployment and barbiturates access were associated with an increased risk of suicide. Interventions and policies that address chronic alcohol consumption and support the unemployed may reduce suicide mortality.
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| 3. |
- O'Donnell, Renee, et al.
(author)
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Disparities in definitions of drinker type and related harms : self-identified and researcher-defined drinker type and alcohol-related consequences
- 2022
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In: Journal of Substance Use. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1465-9891 .- 1475-9942. ; 27:5, s. 475-481
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- OBJECTIVES This study aimed to measure the extent to which risky drinkers identify themselves as a heavy/binge drinker and to examine if risky drinkers who identify themselves as a heavy/binge drinker experience less negative drinking-related consequences than those who do not classify themselves as a heavy/binge drinker.METHODS Participants, who met our criterion for heavy and/or binge drinking, were asked about their drinking patterns and to describe themselves as a non-, ex-, occasional, light, social, heavy or binge drinker. Self-identified and researcher-defined (based on participants' past 12 months consumption) drinker types were compared among 4,562 participants (74% males, mean age of 43.4).RESULTS Over half of the researcher-defined binge and heavy drinkers classified themselves as social drinkers. Researcher-defined binge and heavy drinkers who classified themselves accurately experienced more drinking-related harms than those who classified themselves as a social drinker.CONCLUSIONS This study found that rather than using consumption-based definitions, drinkers may classify their drinking based on harms experienced, rather than their risk of harm. Health promotion campaigns aiming to prevent harms in risky drinkers should be aware that drinkers who would be considered at risk may not see themselves that way until they have experienced harm from their drinking.
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