Table 1.
Characteristics of Australian and UK participants at entry (N = 2,437).
| Characteristic | Australia | UK | *p-value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age in years—median (range): | 54 (45–64) | 53 (45–64) | 0.020 |
| Completed tertiary education—n (%): | 711 (58.4) | 635 (52.1) | 0.002 |
| Children living at home—n (%): | 494 (40.6) | 540 (44.3) | 0.062 |
| **Parenting without partner—n (%): | 333 (46.1) | 241 (34.1) | <0.001 |
| Number—median (range): | 2 (1–10) | 2 (1–10) | 0.896 |
| †Health risk perceptions—n (%) | |||
| Likely to get COVID-19: | 104 (8.7) | 259 (22.7) | <0.001 |
| Likely to develop breast cancer: | 82 (9.2) | 105 (11.0) | 0.197 |
| Usual employment status— n(%) | |||
| Any paid work: | 789 (64.8) | 910 (74.7) | <0.001 |
| Full time work: | 409 (33.6) | 587 (48.2) | <0.001 |
| ††Change in work conditions— n (%) | |||
| Required to work from home: | 133 (15.9) | 239 (26.6) | <0.001 |
| Lost a job: | 71 (17.5) | 90 (15.3) | 0.359 |
| Lost hours: | 196 (24.8) | 154 (16.9) | <0.001 |
| Forced to take leave: | 55 (7.0) | 32 (3.5) | 0.001 |
| ‡AUDIT-C scores—median (range): | 3 (1–11) | 4 (1–12) | <0.001 |
| “Stockpiling” of alcohol at homen (%) | 185 (17.9) | 339 (30.4) | <0.001 |
| Changes in alcohol consumption—n (%) | 0.001 | ||
| More likely to drink alone | 316 (30.6) | 273 (24.4) | |
| Change in physical environment from usual drinking | 298 (28.8) | 492 (44.1) | <0.001 |
| Consumes more | 246 (23.8) | 361 (32.3) | |
| Consumes less | 242 (23.4) | 278 (24.9) | |
| Consumption unchanged | 547 (52.9) | 578 (42.8) | <0.001 |
| ‡‡Pattern of increased consumption since COVID-19—n (%) | |||
| More frequent but same amount: | 140 (56.9) | 197 (54.6) | |
| More frequent and more alcohol: | 76 (30.9) | 139 (38.5) | |
| Same frequency but more alcohol: | 30 (12.2) | 25 (6.9) | 0.030 |
*
Statistical tests: Mann-Whitney, Chi-square as appropriate (significance <0.05, in bold font).
**
Among those with children living at home (N = 1,034).
†
Among those not previously diagnosed with either COVID-19 (N = 2,342) or breast cancer (N = 1,846).
††
Among those reporting change in work conditions since COVID-19 (N = 994).
‡
Alcohol use disorder identification test—consumption, among those reporting alcohol consumption (N = 1,699).
‡‡
Among those reporting increased alcohol consumption (N = 607).