Effect of COVID-19 Lockdown on Alcohol and Tobacco Use in Two Chilean Universities

Universidad de La Frontera

Status: Completed

Conditions: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Treatments: Behavioral: Lockdown and other social distancing measures

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT05069090

ANID - COVID0282

Details and patient eligibility

About

This is a longitudinal study of participants from two university communities in Chile. The primary objective is to examine the effect of a regional lockdown on alcohol and tobacco use, using a difference-in-difference analysis to obtain causal estimates of these COVID-19 policies.

Full description

The COVID-19 pandemic is spreading worldwide. Countries have adopted public health and social measures that, together with a direct effect of the pandemic, can affect alcohol and tobacco use. The most stringent measures are lockdowns and curfews that include statutory restrictions on people's mobility. Research to date has shown mixed effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns on alcohol and tobacco use. Importantly, previous studies have not been able to differentiate the effects of the pandemic itself with those from lockdown and curfew policies. They have also been restricted to countries in Europe, the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

The study will advance prior knowledge by providing evidence from a country in Latin America, one of the worst-hit regions worldwide. Latin America accounts for 8.4% of the global population, but 20.3% of the total SARS-COV2 cases and 30.2% of the COVID-19 deaths to date. In addition, the study will exploit the variation in lockdown policies in two regions in Chile to disentangle the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic with those from a lockdown.

The aim of the study is to examine the effect of a regional lockdown on alcohol use in two university populations in the Araucanía and Coquimbo regions in Chile. The investigators will use a difference-in-difference analysis to obtain causal estimates of these COVID-19 policies.

Enrollment: 1,038 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• People with study rights either at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels by July 27, 2020 at the Universidad de la Frontera or Universidad Católica del Norte; OR
• Workers with a full-time or part-time contract with either University, including academics, administrative and assistant personnel; AND
• Having an email registered in the Human Resource Office of each university

Exclusion criteria

• People without valid study rights at either university
• People without a working contract with the university
• Not having an email registered at the Human Resource Office

Trial design

1,038 participants in 2 patient groups

Students and academics Universidad La Frontera

Description:

The intervention consists of social distancing measures to curb the viral transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The Araucanía region was subject to lockdown in a different moment than the Coquimbo region, creating exogenous variation.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Lockdown and other social distancing measures

Students and academics Universidad Católica del Norte

Description:

The intervention consists of social distancing measures to curb the viral transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The Coquimbo region was subject to lockdown in a different moment than the Araucanía region, creating exogenous variation.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Lockdown and other social distancing measures