Newswise — Women in their mid-20s who reported frequent binge drinking during the COVID-19 pandemic were more likely to contract COVID-19, according to Rutgers University researchers.
of studywas published in drug and alcohol addictionyoung black and white women ages 25 to 28 who reported binge drinking (drinking 4 or more drinks at one time) were more likely to have self-reported prevalence of COVID-19 infection than any other subgroup surveyed. We found that the rate was the highest.
“Our research shows that bingeing among young women also increases their risk of contracting COVID-19. It may be due to several factors related to binge drinking, such as weak Tammy ChongProfessor of Psychiatry and Director of the Center for Demographic and Behavioral Health Rutgers Institute Health, Healthcare Policy, Aging Research and the corresponding author of the study.
Researchers analyzed a sample of young black and white women to see if people’s alcohol and substance use changed before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. They examined how characteristics such as socioeconomic status and her COVID-19 infection status were associated with specific patterns of substance and alcohol use during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This study focused on young women, an understudied group. Substance usage rate Young women are catching up with or matching men on most substances as they experience a disproportionate financial burden due to job loss and increased caregiving responsibilities.
“Identifying these distinctive profiles addresses the intersection of specific patterns of substance use among young women with tailored interventions to address disparities associated with the risk of COVID-19 infection.” , can guide a more personalized public health response,” said Chung.
This study examined seven subgroups of young women who exhibited similar substance use patterns before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Groups included low substance use, cannabis use, binge drinking, tobacco or e-cigarette use and binge drinking and other patterns.
Researchers also examined characteristics associated with these patterns of substance use, including socioeconomic status, COVID-19 infection status, and the impact of COVID-19 on mental health and economic status.
Each subgroup correlated with a different response to the impact of COVID-19. Using subgroup profiles, researchers can better understand how individual characteristics relate to patterns of substance abuse. Researchers also found that individuals who reported using multiple drugs were more likely to report pandemic-related psychological health and job or income losses.
“Women who report multiple substance use may benefit not only from substance use, but also from mental health services and support for loss of employment or income,” Chung said.
Future studies may be able to analyze males, females not identified as black or white, and other age-group subgroups.
Co-authors on the study include Carolyn Sarter, Ashley Grosso, and Yanping Zhang from the Rutgers Institute for Health, Healthcare Policy, and Aging Research. Alison Hipwell of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
