Avaliação do consumido de álcool por acadêmicos de uma Universidade do Noroeste do paraná em tempos de pandemia COVID-19

Abstract

The present study evaluated alcohol consumption and the lifestyle of university students at a northwestern institution in Paraná before and during a COVID-19 pandemic. The use of alcohol is popularized among university students, the negative effects of its consumption expose users to the hypotheses of risk and damage to health. The social isolation announced by the pandemic, combined with the lack of perspective and fear, generate feelings such as loneliness and anxiety, which are triggers for the increase and frequency of alcohol consumption. College students were recruited through invitations on links to a questionnaire with questions about alcohol consumption before and during a COVID-19 pandemic. There was a 9% increase in the daily consumption of alcoholic beverages during the pandemic by the university students taken (n = 85), in addition to observing an increase in the amount of alcohol in mL ingested by the research participants. Before the pandemic, most students consume alcoholic beverages in different places such as bars and friends' houses (78.8%; n = 67), and parties (77.6%; n = 66). During the pandemic, 78.8% (n = 67) of the students started to consume alcoholic beverages at home and 50% (n = 42) replied that they had been sick more than once after drinking alcohol. In this way, we can verify changes in alcohol consumption patterns by students when we compare the periods before and during a COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it is important to include public policies that act to raise awareness of reducing alcohol consumption among young people.