Alcohol Use and Associated Factors Amidst COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study of Patients Attending General Out-Patients Department of a Tertiary Hospital, North Central Nigeria
Article Sidebar
:
Main Article Content
Abstract
The psychological distress and the uncertainty about the future during and after crises like the COVID-19 pandemic may lead to increase in alcohol consumption which can worsen disease prognosis and outcome. Therefore, this study was undertaken to find the correlates of increased alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic in patients attending the General Out Patients Department in Jos University Teaching Hospital. It was a cross-sectional descriptive study among consecutive 361 patients above ≥ 18 years all who satisfied the inclusion criteria. The data was analyzed using SPSS Version 22. The mean age of the participants was 34±10 out of which 167 (46.3%) admitted to drinking alcohol and 194 (53.7%) did not drink alcohol. Of those who drink alcohol 65 (38.9%) had self-reported increased alcohol consumption while 102 (61.1%) remained unchanged or decreased their intake. The proportion of participants who were self-employed was higher in the increased than in the no increased in alcohol consumption group (37.8% versus 62.2%, p-value<0.01). Similarly, alcohol use disorder (increased alcohol 71.7% versus no increased 28.3%, p-value<0.01), high perception of the impact of stress (increased alcohol 58.6% versus no increased 41.4%, p-value<0.01) and poor perceived quality of health (increased alcohol consumption 52.9% versus no increased 47.1%, p-value<0.01). The multinomial logistic regression revealed that those without alcohol use disorder were 2 times less likely (p = 0.03; CI = 0.173 – 0.916) and those with perceived low impact of COVID-19 stress (p = 0.001; CI = 0.052 – 0.316) to increase alcohol consumption. Special attention needs to be paid particularly to the most vulnerable groups by providing screening and brief intervention to reduce harmful use of alcohol.
Metrics
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
References
Amzat J, Aminu K, Kolo VI, Akinyele AA, Ogundairo JA, Danjibo MC. Coronavirus outbreak in Nigeria: burden and sociomedical response during the first 100 days. Int J Infect Dis. 2020; 98: 218- 224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2020.06.067.
Otu A, Charles CH, Yaya S. Mental health and psychosocial well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic: the invisible elephant in the room. Int J Ment Health Syst. 2020;14:38. doi: 10.1186/s13033-020-00371-w
Shoib S, Ojeahere MI, Saleem SM, Shariful Islam SM, Arafat SMY, De Filippis R, Ullah Irfan. The rising scourge of mental illness and infodemic: An outcome of social media and COVID-19. (2021). Psychiatria Danubina
Keyes KM, Hatzenbuehler ML, Hasin DS. Stressful life experiences, alcohol consumption, and alcohol use disorders: the epidemiologic evidence for four main types of stressors. Psychopharmacology. 2011; 218:1– 17. doi: 10.1007/s00213-011-2236-1
. Testino G. Are Patients with Alcohol Use Disorders at Increased Risk for Covid-19 Infection? Alcohol Alcohol. 2020;55(4):344–6. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agaa037
Wang QQ, Kaelber DC, Xu R, Volkow ND. COVID-19 risk and outcomes in patients with substance use disorders: analyses from electronic health records in the United States. Mol Psychiatry.2020; 14:1–10. doi: 10.1038/s41380-020-00880-7.
Michalak L, Trocki K, Bond J. Religion and alcohol in the US National Alcohol Survey: How important is religion for abstention and drinking? Drug Alcohol Depend 2007; 87:268–80
Neill, E., Meyer, D., Toh, W.L., van Rheenen, T.E., Phillipou, A., Tan, E.J., Rossell, S.L., . Alcohol use in Australia during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic: initial results from the COLLATE project. Psychiatry Clin. Neurosci.2020;74:542-549 https://doi.org/ 10.1111/pcn.13099.
Garcia-Cerde R, Valente JY, Sohi I, Falade R, Sanchez ZM, Monteiro MG. Alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic in Latin America and the Caribbean Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2021;45: e52. https://doi.org/10.26633/RPSP.2021.52
Pollard, M.S.; Tucker, J.S.; Green, H.D. Changes in Adult Alcohol Use and Consequences during the COVID-19 Pandemic in the U.S. JAMA Netw. Open 2020;3: e2022942.
Abiodun AO Alcohol-related problems in primary care patients in Nigeria. Acta Psyhiatr Scand.1996; 93:235-9. Doi:10.1111/J.16600-0447. 1996.tb10640.x
Sheenhan DV, Lecrubier Y, Sheehan KH, Amorin P, Janavs J, Weiller E et al. The MINI-International Neuro-psychiatric Interview and Validation of structured diagnostic psychiatric interview for DSM-IV and ICD-10. J Clin Psychiatry 1998; 20:22-23
Adewuya AO, Afolabi MO, Ola BA, Ogundele AO, Ajibere AO, Oladipo BF. Psychiatric disorders among HIV-Positive population in Nigeria: a control study. J Psychosom Res 2007; 63:203-206
Jacob, L.; Smith, L.; Armstrong, N.C.; Yakkundi, A.; Barnett, Y.; Butler, L.; McDermott, D.T.; Koyanagi, A.; Shin, J.I.; Meyer, J. Alcohol Use and Mental Health during Covid-19 Lockdown: A Cross-Sectional Study in a Sample of Uk Adults. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2021;219:108488
Ahmed MZ, Ahmed O, Aibao Z, Hanbin S, Siyu L, Ahmad A. Epidemic of COVID-19 in China and associated psychological problems. Asian J Psychiatr 2020; 51:102092. doi: 10.1016/j.ajp.2020.102092.
Bor J, Basu S, Coutts A, Mckee M, Stuckler D. Alcohol use during the great recession of 2008-2009. Alcohol Alcohol. 2013; 48:343–8. doi: 10.1093/alcalc/agt002
Fat LN, Bell S, Britton A. A life-time of hazardous drinking and harm to health among older adults: findings from the Whitehall II prospective cohort study. Addiction 2020; 115(10):1855–1866. doi:10.1111/add. 15013
: Dominika S,Klimek-Tulwin M, Piekut A. COVID-19 lockdown leads to changes in alcohol consumption patterns. Results from the Polish national survey, J Addictive Diseases, 2021; 39:2, 215-225, DOI: 10.1080/10550887.2020.1848247
Goncalves PD, Moura HF, Amaral RA, Castaldelli-maia JM, Malbergier A. Alcohol use and COVID-19: can we predict the impact of pandemic on alcohol use based on the previous crises in the 21st century? A brief Review. Front. Psychiatry 2020; 11:581113
WHO's survey on MNS services see https://www.who. int/publications/i/item/ 978924012455
Dixon MA, Chartier KG. Alcohol use patterns among urban and rural residents. Alcohol Res Curr Rev 2016; 38:69–77.
Brooks SK, Webster RK, Smith LE, Woodland L, Wessely S, Greenberg N, et al. The psychological impact of quarantine and how to reduce it: rapid review of the evidence. Lancet. 2020; 395:912-20. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30460-8
Wu, P.; Liu, X.; Fang, Y.; Fan, B.; Fuller, C.J.; Guan, Z.; Yao, Z.; Kong, J.; Lu, J.; Litvak, I.J. Alcohol abuse/dependence symptoms among hospital employees exposed to a SARS outbreak. Alcohol Alcohol. 2008; 43:706–712.
Boscarino, J.A.; Kirchner, H.L.; Hoffman, S.N.; Sarorius, J.; Adams, R.E. PTSD and alcohol use after the World Trade Center attacks: A longitudinal study. J. Trauma Stress 2011; 24:515–525.