Substance use, sexual behavior, and general well-being of U.S. college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A brief report

Firkey, Madison; Sheinfil, Alan Z.; Woolf‐King, Sarah E.

doi:10.1080/07448481.2020.1869750

Cited by 63 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Furthermore, during the lockdown, there is a substantial risk of increasing substance use [ 21 ]. Interestingly, the pandemic has also influenced students’ sex lives, as most of them reported a decrease in sexual activity, yet use of dating apps remained unchanged [ 22 ]. Finally, the pandemic situation and lockdowns have also influenced students’ sleeping patterns—although they tend to spend more time in bed, overall sleep quality and insomnia symptoms have worsened [ 23 , 24 , 25 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lifestyle Changes among Polish University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Fila-Witecka

Senczyszyn

Kołodziejczyk

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Students worldwide have been impacted by nationwide safety closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, creating an environment with loss of interaction with colleagues, social isolation, boredom, and economic uncertainty. Since university students were considered uniquely vulnerable to mental health problems even before the pandemic, this study aimed to investigate lifestyle and behavioral changes experienced by this population due to the epidemiological situation and their effect on their mental health. Data were collected via an online survey conducted among university students across Poland. The survey addressed recent lifestyle changes that were a result of the pandemic as well as psychological distress, symptoms of insomnia and symptoms of post-traumatic stress. The results indicate that protective factors include maintaining a daily routine, staying physically active, following a usual eating pattern and taking care of sleep hygiene. Changes in behavior contributing to poorer mental health included giving up a daily routine, neglecting meals, tidiness, hygiene as well as social relationships, changes in food intake, sleeping schedule, a decrease in physical activity and the onset of sexual dysfunctions. A history of psychiatric treatment and an increase in self-harm as well as an increase in alcohol and tobacco consumption were also found to be associated with psychological distress. Experienced lifestyle and behavioral changes and their impact on mental health were apparent throughout the obtained data, highlighting the need for psychological support in the studied population. Based on the results we were able to establish a list of protective and risk factors influencing the everyday life and psychological wellbeing of students amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, which could also be translated into life skills.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lifestyle Changes among Polish University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Fila-Witecka

Senczyszyn

Kołodziejczyk

et al. 2021

IJERPH

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…A growing literature has investigated the effects of the pandemic on alcohol use among adolescents, young adults, and college students in the U.S. and found mixed results [ [11] , [12] , [13] , [14] , [15] , [16] , [17] , [18] , [19] , [20] , [21] , [22] , [23] ]. Decreases in opportunities to socialize related to the pandemic were associated with decreases in alcohol use among college students [ 11 , 12 , 18 , 20 ].…”

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confidence: 99%

The Effect of Social and Stress-Related Factors on Alcohol Use Among College Students During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Fruehwirth

Gorman

Perreira

2021

Journal of Adolescent Health

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Purpose The aim of this article is to study how Covid-19 stress-related factors and changes in social engagement during the pandemic contributed to changes in alcohol use among first-year college students. Methods We used data on 439 first-year students (ages 18–20) at a large public university in North Carolina both before (October 2019 to February 2020) and after (June/July 2020) the start of the Covid-19 pandemic. We evaluated changes in prevalence and days of alcohol use and binge drinking. We estimated the associations between Covid-19 stressors/stress (work reductions, health, distanced learning difficulties, perceived stress) and social engagement (perceived social support from friends, social isolation, and social distancing) after controlling for students’ pre-pandemic alcohol use, social engagement, and demographic characteristics. Results We found that the prevalence of alcohol use and binge drinking in the past 30 days decreased from 54.2% to 46.0% and 35.5% to 24.6%, respectively; days of use did not change significantly. The decreases were primarily associated with reductions in social engagement. Among Covid-19 stressors/stress, only challenges with distance learning were associated with higher alcohol use among those who were already drinking prior to the pandemic. Drinking increased more among those who endorsed using substances to cope, while drinking was not associated with resilient coping. Conclusions Unless new drinking habits are formed during the pandemic, decreases in alcohol use among college students are unlikely to be sustained as social distancing measures are removed. Colleges may want to target interventions to students who have responded to stress with increased alcohol use, partly by addressing difficulties with distance learning.

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“…In one study of adolescent sexual minority males, participants reported seeing their sexual partners less often during the COVID-19 pandemic [17]. In another study with college students aged 18-25, most students reported a decrease in sexual activity [18]. Just as patterns of relationship involvement and sexual activity vary between adolescence and young adulthood [19,20], additional research is needed to compare the pandemic's impact on romantic and sexual relationships by age.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…* p-value based on chi-square test comparing adolescents (ages 13-17) and young adults (ages[18][19][20][21] …”

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confidence: 99%

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Young people’s romantic relationships and sexual activity before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

et al. 2021

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Background Social distancing measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19 may profoundly impact young people’s relationships. This study compared adolescent and young adults’ romantic relationships and sexual activity before and after social distancing policies were enacted. Methods In June 2020, 351 youth participating in an ongoing intervention study in Fresno County, California completed an online survey about their experiences related to COVID-19. The survey included open and closed-ended questions about their romantic relationships, sexual activity, and online romantic or sexual interactions before and during social distancing restrictions. We used the chi-square test of independence to compare adolescent (ages 13–17) and young adults’ (ages 18–21) responses. Results were also compared to responses in the intervention study’s baseline survey. Results One-third (37%) of youth were dating or in a romantic relationship and 28% spent time in person with a partner early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Among those dating or in a relationship, 34% physically distanced from their partner due to parental restrictions related to COVID-19. Youth also spent less time in person with their partners during the pandemic than before. Although most youth (69%) were not sexually active before or during the pandemic, 22% had sex during the social distancing period. Young adults were more likely to spend time with their partners and have sex during the restrictions than adolescents. Most youth were not involved in sexting or online dating, before or during the pandemic. Conclusions Adolescents and young adults have continued to engage in sexual and romantic relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic, although many reported physical distancing from their partners. Results suggest that youth continue to need access to sexual health education and services during emergencies such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Substance use, sexual behavior, and general well-being of U.S. college students during the COVID-19 pandemic: A brief report

Cited by 63 publications

References 38 publications

Lifestyle Changes among Polish University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Lifestyle Changes among Polish University Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Effect of Social and Stress-Related Factors on Alcohol Use Among College Students During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Young people’s romantic relationships and sexual activity before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

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