The influence of alcohol consumption on Self-Rated Health and Mood during the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain

INTRODUCTION: There is evidence of a significant upturn of certain unhealthy lifestyle choices such as Alcohol Consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic. OBJECTIVE: To analyze whether Alcohol Consumption has increased since the onset of pandemic and whether it affects the relationship between Mood and Self-Rated Health among adult Spanish population. METHODOLOGY: Study of two cross-sectional cohorts (1—initial period of confinement COVID-19 pandemic, 2—between fifth and sixth waves of pandemic) to examine Alcohol Consumption in the relationship between Mood and Self-Rated Health using a moderation analysis with PROCESS macro for SPSS. RESULTS: 5,949 people (62.1% women) participated in the study. Alcohol Consumption showed a significant increase, with men consuming more Alcohol than women in both periods (58.6% vs. 44.7% and 72.1% vs. 56.7%, respectively, p < 0.001). The moderation analysis revealed that sex and Alcohol Consumption conditioned the relationship between Mood and Self-Rated Health in the first survey, with a greater effect on women, who stated that not consuming Alcohol had a positive effect on the relationship between Mood and Self-Rated Health (B: −0.530; p < 0.001). DISCUSSION: Currently it is about of implementing strategies to manage the pandemic—some of them aimed at promoting healthy living and stress management as assets that favor healthy lifestyles with fewer risk factors. New studies are needed to address the social thresholds of alcohol consumption, considering different perspectives for understanding variations in the intrapersonal and social perception of drunkenness, as this has been shown to be inconsistent across cultures and time periods.