Sociodemographic Disparities in Alcohol-Associated Emergency Department Visits Among Underage Individuals in the US Before and After the Onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic
Repeated cross-sectional study assesses alcohol-related ED visits in underage youth, highlighting persistent disparities post-COVID-19.
Key Points
This study aims to evaluate disparities in alcohol-related emergency department visits among underage individuals in the US, particularly before and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Used pooled Nationwide Emergency Department Sample data from January 2019 to December 2021.
Focused on individuals aged 12–20, comparing ED visits pre-COVID-19 and during-COVID-19 periods.
Employed survey-weighted multivariable logistic regression to analyze data, adjusting for various demographic and socioeconomic factors.
Native American youth had significantly higher odds of alcohol-related ED visits compared to White youth (OR = 3.68, 95% CI: 3.52–3.86).
COVID-19 did not significantly increase overall alcohol-related ED visits (OR = 1.03, p = 0.053), but disparities widened for Native American youth (OR = 1.20).
Disparities were not significantly affected for Black, Hispanic, or Asian youth, indicating persistent structural inequities.