Alcohol abuse linked to long work hours
9 August 2011
Working at least 50 hours a week increases the risk of alcohol-related problems up to threefold, a New Zealand study suggests.
Researchers used data on 1000 men and women who were born in 1977 and studied to age 25-30 years - called the Christchurch Health and Development Study.
The study found a significant association between longer working hours and drinking-related problems, lead author Dr Sheree Gibb (PhD), from the University of Otago, said.
The longer the working hours, the worse the alcohol problem, including alcohol abuse and dependence, researchers found.
Participants who worked 50 hours a week or more on average were 1.8 to 3.3 times more likely to have alcohol-related problems than those who were not working.
And they were up to 1.5 times more likely to have alcohol-related problems than those who worked between 30 to 49 hours a week.
The finding may suggest a need to consider policies and programs targeted at people who work long hours in order to reduce drinking-related problems, Dr Gibb said.
The study is published in the journal Addiction (2011, online Jun 21).
Last Reviewed: 09 August 2011
- 1. Gibb SJ, Fergusson DM, Horwood LJ. Working hours and alcohol problems in early adulthood. Addiction 2011 Jun 21. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03543.x. [Epub ahead of print]. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2011.03543.x/abstract (accessed Aug 2011).
