Are workplace factors associated with employee alcohol use? The WIRUS cross-sectional study

Association among occupational class, alcohol consumption, and the risk of hospitalisations due to alcoholic liver diseases: a matched case-control study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to identify the occupational class and specific occupations associated with hospitalisations due to alcohol-related liver disease and alcoholic liver cirrhosis, based on the distribution of alcohol consumption.

METHODS

This matched case-control study used a nationwide, multicentre, inpatient dataset from the Inpatient Clinico-Occupational Database of the Rosai Hospital Group in Japan. A total of 5,490 cases with alcohol-related liver disease and 10,961 controls were included in this study. Participants were categorised according to occupational class (blue-collar, service, professional, and manager) and industrial sector (blue-collar, service, and white-collar). Professionals in white-collar industries were set as the reference group. We calculated the odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs) of alcohol-related liver disease and alcoholic liver cirrhosis using conditional logistic regression models.

RESULTS

Blue-collar workers and service workers in both the service and blue-collar industries had a higher risk of hospitalisations due to alcohol-related liver disease: The ORs (95% CIs) for alcohol-related liver disease were 1.33 (1.15-1.55) for blue-collar workers in the blue-collar industry, 1.21 (1.03-1.42) for service workers in the blue-collar industry, 1.23 (1.01-1.51) for blue-collar workers in the service industry, and 1.47 (1.25-1.72) for service workers in the service industry. Among service workers, food and drink preparatory workers and customer service workers had a higher risk of hospitalisations due to alcohol-related liver disease and alcoholic liver cirrhosis compared to professionals (reference group), with ORs of 2.28 (1.81-2.89) and 2.18 (1.64-2.89), respectively, for alcohol-related liver disease. Among blue-collar workers, skeleton construction workers had a higher risk of hospitalisations due to alcohol-related liver disease, with an OR of 2.31 (1.63-3.3). Workers in occupations with a high risk of hospitalisations due to alcohol-related liver disease had higher percentages of alcohol consumption compared to professionals.

CONCLUSIONS

Occupational class and specific jobs were associated with the risk of hospitalisations due to alcohol-related liver disease and alcoholic liver cirrhosis, with alcohol consumption patterns contributing to this increased risk.

Educational differences in alcohol-related morbidity and the role of working conditions: a Swedish register-based cohort study

This study aims to investigate the relationship between education and alcohol-related morbidity and the role that low job control and heavy physical workload play in explaining these associations among men and women in Sweden. This register-based cohort study (SWIP cohort) includes over three million individuals registered in Sweden in 2005. Job control and physical workload were measured using a job exposure matrix linked to the index person based on their registered occupation at baseline. Alcohol-related morbidity was measured through diagnoses in the national patient registers between 2006 and 2020. Cox proportional hazards regression models were built to estimate associations between education and alcohol-related morbidity. Reductions in hazard ratios (HRs) were calculated after adjusting for job control, physical workload, and other covariates. Models were also stratified by sex. Lower levels of education predicted a higher risk of alcohol-related morbidity (HR: 2.55 95% confidence interval: 2.49-2.62 for the lowest educated compared to the highest). Low job control and heavy physical workload both played roles in explaining educational differences in alcohol-related morbidity even after accounting for sociodemographic and health factors (15.1% attenuation for job control and 18.3% for physical workload among the lowest educated). Physical workload explained a larger proportion of the associations among men compared to women. Lower levels of education were associated with an increased risk of alcohol-related morbidity and working conditions partly explained these associations beyond what was explained by sociodemographic and health factors. Improving working conditions could therefore prevent some cases of alcohol-related morbidity.

A longitudinal study of the influence of work characteristics, work-family status, and social activities on problem drinking: the Japanese civil servants study

Problem drinking causes a decline in labor productivity among working population. This study examined whether work characteristics, work-family status, and social activities are associated with future problem drinking behavior among Japanese civil servants. A total of 1,535 participants (men: 63.1%, women: 36.9%) with no problem drinking behavior were followed up from 2014 to 2019. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the factors associated with future problem drinking behavior. During the five-year follow-up period, the cumulative incidence of problem drinking was 9.6% and 5.8% in men and women, respectively. In both men and women, frequent drinking around three times a week or more and alcohol consumption of two units or more at baseline were associated with future problem drinking. In men, compared with low-grade employees, high-grade employees were less likely to become problem drinkers (OR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.33-0.95). Shift workers were significantly associated with the incidence of problem drinking (OR: 2.96, 95% CI: 1.46-6.00). In women, poor own work performance was significantly associated with problem drinking (OR: 5.30, 95% CI: 1.57-17.86). In conclusion, disadvantaged work characteristics are associated with the development of problem drinking. To prevent problem drinking, attention should be paid to poor work characteristics.

Work context and drinking behavior in the French public service: a qualitative study

Introduction

Alcohol use disorders (AUD) are a major public health problem. Among the working population, alcohol is the most frequently used psychoactive substance, as well as the most inappropriately used. Alcohol consumption reduces the worker's psychophysical integrity, leads to an increase in inappropriate behavior, accidents and injuries, and affects the safety and health of other workers. Thus, the workplace must play an essential role in prevention. Particularly in France, in the civil service, a specific professional sector made up of many professionals exposed to stress, the prevention of AUD must play an essential role. The objective of this study was to describe the framework of alcohol consumption in the French public service in order to understand the sources of alcohol consumption behaviors and to identify the prevention measures to be implemented, in order to reduce the risk of transition to an alcohol use disorder.

Methods

This descriptive qualitative study was based on focus groups. Sampling was purposive and data saturation was verified. Coding was "in vivo," descriptive and pattern-oriented. Analysis was inductive thematic, and the COREQ guidelines were followed.

Results

Firstly, the presence of alcohol in the workplace has been characterized by a before-and-after a prohibition law, and by the revelation of mechanisms for avoiding the ban. Then, the three main determinants for alcohol use disorders were: society, work and personal factors. Lastly, the prevention initiatives identified must be based on both collective and individual approaches. They must be encouraged by the hierarchy, include screening, accompaniment to care, and take into account both work in the workplace and work at home. The fight against work-related alcohol use disorders must be part of the corporate culture.

Discussion

Preventing alcohol-related disorders among civil servants will help fight the burden of non-communicable diseases.

Hazardous alcohol consumption across different industries in Sweden: a pooled cross-sectional study

AIM

The current study aims to (i) examine differences in hazardous alcohol consumption across different industries in Sweden and (ii) assess to what degree any such difference can be attributed to a differential distribution of nicotine use, health, and work environments among individuals working in these industries.

METHODS

A pooled cross-sectional study was conducted including all participants of the survey of Health, Work Environment, and Lifestyle Habits between 2012 and 2023 (n = 54 378), collected by an occupational health service company (Feelgood). The survey contained self-reported information on alcohol use, industry, nicotine use, health, and work environment. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were obtained by pooled logistic regression analyses.

RESULTS

Hazardous alcohol use was highly prevalent in the current study population (37%), especially among individuals in the accommodation/food service, arts/entertainment/recreation, and the construction industry. Compared to individuals working in education, individuals in these industries had >1.6-fold increased odds of reporting hazardous alcohol consumption. Differences in nicotine use and physical work environment between the industries explained some of the differences in hazardous alcohol consumption between industries, while differences in health and psychosocial work environment had limited effects on the estimates.

CONCLUSION

We identified several industries in the Swedish workforce where hazardous alcohol use is highly prevalent. While differences in nicotine use, health, and work environment explained a part of these risk differences, most of the risk differences remained.

Associations between changes in deprivation and alcohol use disorder: a nationwide longitudinal study

BACKGROUND

Despite conflicting findings on the association between socioeconomic status and drinking, little is known about the impact of deprivation as a measure of inequality on alcohol use disorders (AUDs).

METHODS

We used the Korea Welfare Panel Study, a longitudinal survey conducted from 2012 to 2022, and included 1569 Korean adult participants. Deprivation (at least one including food, housing, medical, educational, and credit deprivation) was measured by self-report and divided into four categories according to the change in deprivation experience from the previous year to the following year. AUD was measured using the Korean version of the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test scale. Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals and adjusted for confounders.

RESULTS

Among 1569 participants, worsened deprivation and consistent deprivation were positively associated with AUD compared to non-deprivation. In particular, worsened deprivation was more likely to be associated with AUD in participants with low household income, high school education level, and economic activity.

CONCLUSION

We found that worsened deprivation and consistent deprivation were associated with AUD. Deprivation should be considered as a health policy intervention to improve drinking problems.

Work for the Prison Service: selected health consequences - investigating the role of personal resources, job demands, work stress, and burnout

OBJECTIVES

The specific job demands of the Prison Service (PS) may affect the health of officers. The job demands-resources model (JD-R) model was used to design a survey of the consequences of working subject to particular job demands. The aim was to gain an insight into the relationship between job demands, personal resources, occupational stress and burnout and selected health consequence indicators (such as behaviors associated with the consumption of alcohol, stress symptoms).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A total of 1732 PS officers in Poland were surveyed. The following tools were used as part of the survey: the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ II), the Multidimensional Inventory for Assessing Coping Responses (COPE), the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and a form with a respondent's particulars. Path analysis using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was performed.

RESULTS

The assumed hypotheses were partially confirmed by the results. Out of 4 job demands categories only work pace turned out not to be a significant predictor of burnout and stress. For alcohol related behaviors, stress level was the only significant predictor, both as a direct and indirect effect taking into account job demands. It transpired that support from superiors rather than support from colleagues or self-efficacy was a significant moderator in the emotional demands - stress relationship. Limitations of the study and perspectives for its continuation are also presented herein.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the obtained results it may be concluded that job demands and support from superiors do have an impact on stress in the PS group. This is also consistent with available reports in literature. At the same time stress is a significant predictor of alcohol related behaviors. Coping through the use of psychoactive substances was not a significant factor in statistical analyses and it has still not been subject to sufficient scientific analysis. Int J Occup Med Environ Health. 2023;36(6):744-60.

Association between weekly working hours and risky alcohol use: A 12-year longitudinal, nationwide study from South Korea

We aimed to investigate the association between long working hours and onset of risky alcohol use. We included a nationally representative sample comprising 11,226 workers in South Korea (57,887 observations). The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test was used to assess risky alcohol use. Fixed effect regressions were employed to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Adjusted ORs (95% CIs) of risky alcohol use were 1.08 (0.95-1.22) for 41-48 h/week, 1.12 (0.96-1.31) for 49-54 h/week, and 1.40 (1.21-1.63) for ≥55 h/week, compared with standard working hours (35-40 h/week). ORs (95% CIs) of the association between working ≥55 h/week and risky alcohol use was 1.39 (1.17-1.65) for men and 1.34 (0.98-1.82) for women. Yearly cumulative exposure to long working hours (>40 h/week) is positively associated with risky alcohol use in a dose-dependent manner. For instance, exposure to long working hours for ≥3 years was associated with an increased likelihood of risky alcohol use (OR [95% CI]: 2.20 [1.78-2.72]). Sex-stratified analyses showed that long work hours are associated with risky alcohol use in both male and female workers. Appropriate work-hour policy is needed to prevent workers from risky alcohol use.