Alcohol misuse among university staff: a cross-sectional study

A Systematic Review on Alcohol Consumption among Non-Religious and Religious Adults

Background: Research has suggested that religiosity is a protective factor in alcohol use, but this is an area that could be further explored. Objective: To undertake a systematic review of the literature on drinking patterns and their relationship with religiosity and non-religiosity in adult populations. Methods: We searched for relevant studies using the PubMed, LILACS, Web of Science, Scopus, and Psych-INFO databases. This review included only studies of people aged 18 and over which had a non-religious group as a comparison measure. Results: Fifty-one studies met the inclusion criteria. The present review showed that religious people tend to have lower alcohol consumption compared to those with no religion. However, this difference appears only when religions are analyzed together without differentiating between religious affiliations (Catholicism, Buddhism, Evangelicalism, etc.). Some religious affiliations, such as Buddhism, Catholicism and Lutheranism, appear to be risk factors for alcohol consumption. Definitions of risk consumption showed high heterogeneity, ranging from eight to 21 or more doses per week, a difference of 13 doses of alcohol between studies. Conclusions: The present review showed that religious people tend to have lower alcohol consumption compared to non-religious people. However, the results are contradictory when religious affiliations are analyzed separately and compared with non-religious participants. Adequately understanding which dimensions of religiosity and non-religiosity (e.g., group processes, engagement, meaning, rules of behavior) are protective in adulthood is fundamental to the construction of more effective interventions in this age group.

Thriving or surviving: staff health metrics and lifestyle behaviours within an Irish higher education setting

Purpose

Due to the international paucity of empirical evidence, this study aimed to investigate the health metrics and lifestyle behaviours of a staff cohort in a higher education institution (HEI) in Ireland.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 279 (16.4% response rate) HEI staff (academic, management, clerical/support), via a web-based health questionnaire that incorporated validated measures such as the Mental Health Index-5, Energy and Vitality Index, Cohen's Perceived Stress Scale (short form) and the AUDIT-C drinking subscale. A cluster analytical procedure was used to examine the presence of distinct clusters of individuals exhibiting either optimal or sub-optimal health behaviours.

Findings

A multitude of concerning patterns were identified including poor anthropometric profiles (64.4% of males overweight/obese), excessive occupational sitting time (67.8% of females sitting for = 4 h per day), hazardous drinking among younger staff (38.2% of 18–34 year olds), sub-optimal sleep duration on weeknights (82.2% less than 8 h), less favourable mean psychometric indices than the general Irish population, and insufficient fruit and vegetable intake (62.1% reporting <5 daily servings). Cluster analysis revealed “Healthy lifestyle” individuals exhibited significantly lower BMI values, lower stress levels and reported fewer days absent from work compared to those with a “Sub-optimal lifestyle”.

Originality/value

In contrast to the abundance of research pertaining to student cohorts, the current study is the first to examine the clustering of health-related variables in a cohort of HEI staff in Ireland. Findings will be used to inform policy at the host institution and will be of broader interest to higher education stakeholders elsewhere. Future longitudinal studies are required to monitor the health challenges experienced by this influential, yet under-researched cohort.

Content of university alcohol policies in New South Wales, Australia

ISSUE ADDRESSED

This study aimed to develop a working checklist for university alcohol policies and apply this checklist to current policies in universities in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

METHODS

We developed a working checklist of possible university alcohol policy approaches, drawn from the World Health Organization's alcohol policy recommendations, university alcohol policy research from the United States and norms and expectations currently incorporated in Australian university alcohol policies. We then conducted a content analysis of university alcohol policies in NSW, Australia, based on this checklist. All NSW university websites were searched for any policies or guidelines related to alcohol. The content of each policy or guideline was assessed in terms of whether it satisfied the various components of the checklist.

RESULTS

All 11 universities in NSW have an alcohol policy, and these policies are readily available and accessible online. There were two main themes identified in the aims across documents: maximising health and safety of individuals and protecting the university as an institutional entity. Inclusiveness and safety were the predominant themes that satisfied policy content. No document incorporated methods for monitoring/evaluating policy impact.

CONCLUSIONS

University alcohol policies that incorporated both individual-level and population-based approaches to alcohol harm reduction were more likely to score higher on the checklist. However, this analysis highlighted many opportunities to strengthen policies by increasing their comprehensiveness and incorporating means to evaluate their effectiveness. SO WHAT?: We present a working checklist that can be used for future research and policy development, regarding university alcohol policies and guidelines.