"An escape from the isolation": Youth thoughts about the impact of COVID-19 on adolescent sexual behavior and alcohol use.
Researchers studied the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on adolescent sexual behaviors and alcohol use. Youth were sampled from the national, online longitudinal Growing up with Media study. 416 responses were analyzed from 335 participants (aged 15-30, US residents), 81 of whom provided data for both topics. Many participants believed adolescents were drinking alcohol more as a result of the pandemic, both alone and with friends; however, others perceived adolescents were drinking less. Participants proposed researchers investigate adolescent drinking habits during the pandemic, as well as how this compares to before the pandemic and the type and quantity of alcohol consumed. Young people believe adolescent sexual relationships and drinking behaviors changed due to the pandemic, though how varied. This study highlights the importance of directly asking youth about their pandemic experiences and the diversity of views on how the pandemic has influenced adolescent behavior.
This paper, “An escape from the isolation": Youth thoughts about the impact of COVID-19 on adolescent sexual behavior and alcohol use, was funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and published in the Journal of adolescence.
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