Association of binge drinking with the COVID-19 pandemic

Aim: This study examines changes in binge drinking prevalence and odds before and after the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic declaration in the United States (U.S.) among individuals with prior history of alcohol use, and explores interaction effects of sociodemographic, behavioral, and health-related factors on the association. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) collected between February and June 2020 from adults reporting alcohol use in the past 30 days (N = 1,948). The primary outcome was binge drinking, defined as consuming ≥5 drinks (men) or ≥4 drinks (women) on one occasion in the past month. Weighted multivariable logistic regression models estimated adjusted odds ratios (AORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for binge drinking after versus before the pandemic declaration, adjusting for sociodemographic, behavioral, and health-related factors. Results: Binge drinking prevalence was similar before (44.39%) and after (44.13%) the declaration, with no significant overall difference (AOR = 0.77, 95% CI: 0.54–1.10). Cardiometabolic outcomes significantly moderated the association (p = 0.022), with lower probabilities among those with cardiometabolic conditions and higher probabilities among those without. Increased odds of binge drinking were observed among Hispanic adults (AOR= 2.10, 95% CI= 1.08, 4.07), lesbian/gay or bisexual individuals (AOR= 2.89, 95% CI= 1.11, 7.54), and former (AOR= 1.78, 95% CI= 1.15, 2.76) or current (AOR= 3.45, 95% CI= 1.71, 6.98) smokers. Conclusions: While overall binge drinking remained stable, disparities emerged across subpopulations. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions addressing alcohol use among vulnerable groups during public health emergencies.