Robinson, Eric 
ORCID: 0000-0003-3586-5533 and Jones, Andrew
(2023)
Hangover-Related Internet Searches Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in England: Observational Study.
JMIR FORMATIVE RESEARCH, 7.
e40518-.
Abstract
<h4>Background</h4>It is unclear whether heavy alcohol use and associated hangover symptoms changed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to a lack of available accurate and nonretrospective self-reported data, it is difficult to directly assess hangover symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic.<h4>Objective</h4>This study aimed to examine whether alcohol-induced hangover-related internet searches (eg, "how to cure a hangover?") increased, decreased, or remained the same in England before versus during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) and during periods of national lockdown. Secondary aims were to examine if hangover-related internet searches in England differed compared to a country that did not impose similar COVID-19 lockdown restrictions.<h4>Methods</h4>Using historical data from Google Trends for England, we compared the relative search volume (RSV) of hangover-related searches in the years before (2016-2019) versus during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021), as well as in periods of national lockdown versus the same periods in 2016-2019. We also compared the RSV of hangover-related searches during the same time frames in a European country that did not introduce national COVID-19 lockdowns at the beginning of the pandemic (Sweden). Hangover-related search terms were identified through consultation with a panel of alcohol researchers and a sample from the general public. Statistical analyses were preregistered prior to data collection.<h4>Results</h4>There was no overall significant difference in the RSV of hangover-related terms in England during 2016-2019 versus 2020-2021 (P=.10; robust d=0.02, 95% CI 0.00-0.03). However, during national lockdowns, searches for hangover-related terms were lower, particularly during the first national lockdown in England (P<.001; d=.19, 95% CI 0.16-0.24; a 44% relative decrease). In a comparison country that did not introduce a national lockdown in the early stages of the pandemic (Sweden), there was no significant decrease in hangover-related searches during the same time period (P=.06). However, across both England and Sweden, during later periods of COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021, the RSV of hangover-related terms was lower than that in the same periods during 2016-2019. Exploratory analyses revealed that national monthly variation in alcohol sales both before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were positively correlated with the frequency of hangover-related searches, suggesting that changes in hangover-related searches may act as a proxy for changes in alcohol consumption.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Hangover-related internet searches did not differ before versus during the COVID-19 pandemic in England but did reduce during periods of national lockdown. Further research is required to confirm how changes in hangover-related search volume relate to heavy episodic alcohol use.<h4>Trial registration</h4>Open Science Framework 2Y86E; https://osf.io/2Y86E.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | alcohol, COVID-19, hangover, Google Trends, social media, public health, online information, alcohol use, internet search |
| Divisions: | Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Population Health |
| Depositing User: | Symplectic Admin |
| Date Deposited: | 30 Mar 2023 09:07 |
| Last Modified: | 28 Jun 2023 18:21 |
| DOI: | 10.2196/40518 |
| Open Access URL: | https://doi.org/10.2196/40518 |
| Related URLs: | |
| URI: | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3169351 |
Dimensions
Dimensions
