COVID-19 Concerns, Perceived Stress, and Increased Alcohol Use Among Adult Women in the United States

The objective of this study was to assess the direct and indirect (via perceived stress) effects of different types of pandemic-related concerns and increased alcohol use among adult women in the United States (US). We conducted a secondary analysis of cross-sectional survey data from April 2020 for adult females in the US who use alcohol (n = 1,089). The indirect effect model accounted for 19% of the variance in perceived stress and 8% of the variance in reporting increased alcohol use compared to no change or decreased use. Path analysis results indicated that concerns about isolation (odds ratio [OR] = 1.027, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.013–1.046), job/finances (OR = 1.025, 95% CI = 1.007–1.065), basic needs (OR = 1.021, 95% CI = 1.008–1.047), and concerns about government (OR = 1.038, 95% CI = 1.014–1.179]) were significantly related to reporting increased alcohol use through perceived stress. These findings can inform timely public health interventions to minimize alcohol-related harm among women.