@article{ref1,
title="Longitudinal and self-attributed change in alcohol use among young adults during the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia",
journal="Drug and alcohol review",
year="2023",
author="Dolli, Ishaan and Slade, Tim and Teesson, Maree and Chapman, Cath",
volume="ePub",
number="ePub",
pages="ePub-ePub",
abstract="INTRODUCTION: The COVID-19 pandemic introduced a unique concern regarding the potential for pandemic-related increases in alcohol use. However, most studies which have measured pandemic-related changes to date utilise self-attribution measures of changes in alcohol use using cross-sectional designs, which rely on accurate self-attributions for validity. There has been minimal investigation of correspondence of self-attributed and longitudinally measured changes in alcohol use during the pandemic. The current study seeks to examine this correspondence. <br><br>METHODS: A total of 856 participants originally recruited from Australian secondary schools completed follow-up surveys of an ongoing study at two timepoints (2018-2019, mean age 18.6 and 2020-2021, mean age 19.9; 65.3% female). Alcohol use was measured as any drinking (1+ drinks) and binge drinking (5+ drinks) frequency in the past 6 months. The correspondence and relationship between 'longitudinal change' measured from the first to the second timepoint and 'self-attributed change' measured at the second timepoint were examined. <br><br>RESULTS: For both any drinking and binge drinking frequency, moderate correspondence was observed between self-attributed and longitudinal change in drinking (37.1% and 39.3%). Most participants with longitudinal increases in any drinking or binge drinking frequency failed to correctly self-attribute this increase. <br><br>DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that self-attributed increases do not correspond well with longitudinally measured increases in pandemic-related drinking and may underestimate increases measured longitudinally. <br><br>METHOD of measurement needs to be taken into account if data are to be used to identify sub-groups at risk of alcohol use increases and facilitate appropriate direction of public health efforts.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="0959-5236",
doi="10.1111/dar.13602",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/dar.13602"
}