Association between increased screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic and changes in alcohol use behaviours among Canadian adolescents: a prospective cohort study

Introduction The aim of this study was to investigate the association between increased screen time and changes in alcohol use among adolescents in Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Self-reported data were retrieved from secondary school students who participated in the COMPASS study pre-pandemic (T1, the 2018 to 2019 school year) and at least once after the onset of the pandemic, at T2, in May to July 2020, and/or at T3, the 2020 to 2021 school year. We used multinomial logistic regression models to estimate the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) of association between change in screen time since the pandemic onset with change in alcohol use at T2 and T3. Results A large majority of the sample, aged 12 to 19 years, reported increased screen time (92% at T2, and 91% at T3) since the pandemic onset. Increased screen time was associated with higher odds of alcohol use initiation during T2 (aOR = 1.66; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09–2.51) and T3 (aOR = 1.45; 95% CI: 1.22–1.73). Among students who used alcohol at baseline, increased screen time (aOR = 0.55; 95% CI: 0.40–0.75) and social media use (aOR = 0.72; 95% CI: 0.59–0.87) were linked to decreased odds of reduction compared to maintenance in drinking frequency at T3. Conclusion We identified a relationship between increased screen time and initiation of and change in alcohol use during the pandemic among Canadian adolescents. Future research could investigate why this relationship exists and identify at-risk groups and potential interventions that prevent and reduce drinking in adolescents.