Long working hours can lead to alcohol addictions
Monday 8 August, 2011
Long working hours can
lead to alcohol addictions
A University of Otago,
Christchurch, study has found that working at least 50 hours
a week increases the risk of alcohol problems by up to three
times.
The study used data from the Christchurch
Health and Development Study which has followed more than
1000 people born in Christchurch in 1977 through to age
30.
The article has recently been accepted for
publication by the journal ‘Addiction’.
Lead
author Dr Sheree Gibb says the study aimed to examine
whether working hours were related to alcohol problems in
early adulthood.
Data from more than 1000 participants
at ages 25 and 30 showed a significant association between
longer working hours and alcohol-related
problems.
Longer working hours were associated with
higher levels of alcohol problems including frequent alcohol
use and alcohol abuse/dependence. People who worked 50 hours
or longer on average a week were 1.8 to 3.3 times more
likely to have alcohol-related problems than those who were
not working, and about 1.2 to 1.5 times more likely to have
alcohol-related problems than those who worked between 30
and 49 hours per week.
The higher risk of alcohol
abuse for those who worked longer hours was evident in both
men and women.
Dr Gibb says that this finding may
suggest a need for consideration of policies and programmes
targeted at individuals who work long hours, with the aim of
reducing rates of alcohol-related problems amongst this
group.
ends