Books
 | 2022 STEWART, S. D. On the Rocks: Straight Talk About Women and Drinking. Rowman & Littlefield. Existing portrayals of women who drink typically fall into two categories: disturbing stories of women hitting “rock bottom,” resulting in ruined careers, families, and futures, or amusing stories of fun and harmless “girls’ nights out,” with women drinking and overindulging as a temporary escape from a never-ending list of work and family demands. Drawing on original research and extensive interviews with a diverse group of women, author Susan Stewart challenges these stereotypes, revealing women’s complex relationships with alcohol and factors associated with its use. |
Articles
The term “day drinking” is used colloquially to refer to drinking alcohol during daytime hours and has become part of the vernacular surrounding alcohol use. Anecdotal evidence is suggestive of increased day drinking among women during the COVID-19 pandemic, but empirical studies are few. This study assessed changes in the time of day women consumed alcoholic beverages during the pandemic, and investigated whether their difficulty balancing work, family, and self-care was associated with the initiation of daytime drinking. In June of 2020, 546 women age 25 and older completed an online survey regarding their drinking behaviors pre- and post-COVID-19, perceived stress, COVID-19 anxiety, and degree of difficulty managing work, family, and personal care. Multivariate logistic regression models assessed associations between variables, controlling for women’s sociodemographic characteristics.Women shifted to drinking earlier in the day with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a specific increase in daytime drinking. Difficulty managing work, family, and self-care was associated with significantly greater odds of initiating day drinking, but perceived stress and COVID-19 anxiety were not.Alcohol consumption is harmful to women’s health. In addition to work and family roles, researchers should continue to explore how self-care affects women’s alcohol use, and specifically temporal patterns, especially in times of crisis.
This study, based on an anonymous on-line survey of 546 women fielded between June 3 and June 30, 2020, examines changes in women’s alcohol use since the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). Nearly two-thirds of women reported drinking more since the beginning of the pandemic, including increases in daily drinking, drinking earlier in the day, and binge drinking. Higher scores on coronavirus-related anxiety were associated with significantly greater odds of drinking more. Changes in alcohol consumption varied for different demographics of women. These findings can be considered a first step toward understanding how COVID-19 may be affecting women’s alcohol use.
Sexual and Gender Identities and Alcohol Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic
This study examined differences in alcohol use by sexual and gender identities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and assessed whether variation between groups was explained by pandemic-related stressors and minority stress. Data from 2,429 partnered adults in the National Couples’ Health and Time Use Study (n = 3,593) collected from September 2020 to April 2021 were used to model drinking patterns (frequency, amount, and drinking to cope) by sexual and gender identities, COVID-19 stress and disruption, microaggressions, and supportive climate. Regression models indicated differences in drinking by gender and sexual identities, even controlling for demographic and socioeconomic factors. Although LGBTQ+ people have disproportionate sources of stress, they varied in how they used alcohol to cope. Potential sources of resilience among sexual and gender diverse individuals should be explored.
Presentations, Posters, and Working Papers