Exploring changes in temporary abstinence in increasing and higher risk drinkers in England and Dry January participation in users of the Try Dry app in the UK between 2020 and 2021
Abstract Background We looked at changes in the prevalence of increasing and higher risk drinkers reporting a reduction attempt motivated by temporary abstinence and changes in prevalence of use of the official app accompanying Dry January between 2020 vs 2021, following the onset of the COVID-19 pa...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2022-09-01
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| Series: | BMC Public Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14188-4 |
| _version_ | 1811202826946215936 |
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| author | Melissa Oldham Inge Kersbergen Sharon Cox Jamie Brown Richard Piper Claire Garnett |
| author_facet | Melissa Oldham Inge Kersbergen Sharon Cox Jamie Brown Richard Piper Claire Garnett |
| author_sort | Melissa Oldham |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background We looked at changes in the prevalence of increasing and higher risk drinkers reporting a reduction attempt motivated by temporary abstinence and changes in prevalence of use of the official app accompanying Dry January between 2020 vs 2021, following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also explored potential shifts in the sociodemographic composition of both groups. Methods We analysed data from: i) 1863 increasing and higher risk drinkers (defined as ≥ 8 on the AUDIT) responding to a nationally representative survey of adults in England in January and February 2020 and 2021, and ii) 104,598 users of the ‘Try Dry’ app, the official aid to those participating in Dry January 2020 and 2021 in the UK. We used logistic regression to examine shifts in the prevalence of increasing and higher risk drinkers reporting a reduction attempt motivated by temporary abstinence and explored whether there were shifts in the characteristics of this group in terms of AUDIT score, number of last year reduction attempts, smoking status, living alone, living with children, reducing alcohol consumption due to future health motives, age, sex, and occupational social grade between 2020 and 2021. We used t-tests and chi-squared tests to compare the prevalence of users of the ‘Try Dry’ app in 2020 and 2021 and examine whether the two groups differed in terms of age and sex. Results The proportion of increasing and higher risk drinkers reporting a reduction attempt motivated by temporary abstinence increased from 4% in 2020 to 8% in 2021 (OR = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.38–3.11, p < .001) with no changes detected in sociodemographic composition. The number of Try Dry app users in 2021 increased by 34.8% relative to 2020. App users in 2021 were two years older on average [p < .001, d = .02], with a 2% increase in the proportion of female app users [p < .001, vs. < .01]. Conclusions Higher participation in Dry January 2021 relative to 2020 indicates increased engagement with a period of temporary abstinence following the COVID-19 related lockdowns in England and the UK, which is positive in the wider context of increasing alcohol consumption throughout the pandemic. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:46:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-46fd2ba5e7c241ab89df5c01474c10d0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:46:10Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj.art-46fd2ba5e7c241ab89df5c01474c10d02022-12-22T03:51:10ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582022-09-012211810.1186/s12889-022-14188-4Exploring changes in temporary abstinence in increasing and higher risk drinkers in England and Dry January participation in users of the Try Dry app in the UK between 2020 and 2021Melissa Oldham0Inge Kersbergen1Sharon Cox2Jamie Brown3Richard Piper4Claire Garnett5Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College LondonSchool of Health and Related Research, University of SheffieldDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College LondonDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, SPECTRUM Research ConsortiumAlcohol Change UKDepartment of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, SPECTRUM Research ConsortiumAbstract Background We looked at changes in the prevalence of increasing and higher risk drinkers reporting a reduction attempt motivated by temporary abstinence and changes in prevalence of use of the official app accompanying Dry January between 2020 vs 2021, following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. We also explored potential shifts in the sociodemographic composition of both groups. Methods We analysed data from: i) 1863 increasing and higher risk drinkers (defined as ≥ 8 on the AUDIT) responding to a nationally representative survey of adults in England in January and February 2020 and 2021, and ii) 104,598 users of the ‘Try Dry’ app, the official aid to those participating in Dry January 2020 and 2021 in the UK. We used logistic regression to examine shifts in the prevalence of increasing and higher risk drinkers reporting a reduction attempt motivated by temporary abstinence and explored whether there were shifts in the characteristics of this group in terms of AUDIT score, number of last year reduction attempts, smoking status, living alone, living with children, reducing alcohol consumption due to future health motives, age, sex, and occupational social grade between 2020 and 2021. We used t-tests and chi-squared tests to compare the prevalence of users of the ‘Try Dry’ app in 2020 and 2021 and examine whether the two groups differed in terms of age and sex. Results The proportion of increasing and higher risk drinkers reporting a reduction attempt motivated by temporary abstinence increased from 4% in 2020 to 8% in 2021 (OR = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.38–3.11, p < .001) with no changes detected in sociodemographic composition. The number of Try Dry app users in 2021 increased by 34.8% relative to 2020. App users in 2021 were two years older on average [p < .001, d = .02], with a 2% increase in the proportion of female app users [p < .001, vs. < .01]. Conclusions Higher participation in Dry January 2021 relative to 2020 indicates increased engagement with a period of temporary abstinence following the COVID-19 related lockdowns in England and the UK, which is positive in the wider context of increasing alcohol consumption throughout the pandemic.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14188-4AlcoholDry JanuaryAlcohol ReductionTemporary AbstinenceCovid-19 |
| spellingShingle | Melissa Oldham Inge Kersbergen Sharon Cox Jamie Brown Richard Piper Claire Garnett Exploring changes in temporary abstinence in increasing and higher risk drinkers in England and Dry January participation in users of the Try Dry app in the UK between 2020 and 2021 BMC Public Health Alcohol Dry January Alcohol Reduction Temporary Abstinence Covid-19 |
| title | Exploring changes in temporary abstinence in increasing and higher risk drinkers in England and Dry January participation in users of the Try Dry app in the UK between 2020 and 2021 |
| title_full | Exploring changes in temporary abstinence in increasing and higher risk drinkers in England and Dry January participation in users of the Try Dry app in the UK between 2020 and 2021 |
| title_fullStr | Exploring changes in temporary abstinence in increasing and higher risk drinkers in England and Dry January participation in users of the Try Dry app in the UK between 2020 and 2021 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring changes in temporary abstinence in increasing and higher risk drinkers in England and Dry January participation in users of the Try Dry app in the UK between 2020 and 2021 |
| title_short | Exploring changes in temporary abstinence in increasing and higher risk drinkers in England and Dry January participation in users of the Try Dry app in the UK between 2020 and 2021 |
| title_sort | exploring changes in temporary abstinence in increasing and higher risk drinkers in england and dry january participation in users of the try dry app in the uk between 2020 and 2021 |
| topic | Alcohol Dry January Alcohol Reduction Temporary Abstinence Covid-19 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14188-4 |
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