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Hashemi NS, Dalen I, Skogen JC, Sagvaag H, Gimeno Ruiz de Porras D, Aas RW. Do Differences in Drinking Attitudes and Alcohol-Related Problems Explain Differences in Sick Leave? A Multilevel Analysis of 95 Work Units Within 14 Companies From the WIRUS Study. Front Public Health 2022; 10:817726. [PMID: 35712266 PMCID: PMC9194082 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.817726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Systematic reviews have shown a strong relationship between alcohol consumption and sick leave. The effect of alcohol consumption on sick leave may, however, vary according to the work environment. While attitudes toward drinking may impact sick leave, there is little research on the contribution of drinking attitudes to sick leave. Moreover, alcohol-related problems and drinking attitudes may be influenced by the broader sociocultural contexts of the organizational units where people work. Objectives This study aimed to explore the relationship of alcohol-related problems and drinking attitudes with sick leave while considering the nesting of employees within working units within companies. Method Data from the WIRUS (Workplace Interventions preventing Risky alcohol Use and Sick leave) study were linked to company-registered sick leave data for 2,560 employees from 95 different work units in public (n = 9) and private companies (n = 5) in Norway. Three-level (employee, work unit, and company) negative binomial regression models were estimated to explore the 12-month prospective association of alcohol-related problems and drinking attitudes with four measures of sick leave (one-day, short-term, long-term, and overall sick leave days). Models were adjusted for gender, age, cohabitation status, educational attainment, work position, and employment sector. Results We observed higher variation of one-day, short-term, and overall sick leave days between companies than between work units within companies (15, 12, and 30% vs. 0, 5, and 8%, respectively). However, neither alcohol-related problems nor drinking attitudes were associated with sick leave and, thus, those variations in sick leave were not explained by alcohol-related problems or drinking attitudes. Conclusion Our findings suggest company-level differences are more important than within company differences when explaining differences in sick leave. While alcohol-related problems or drinking attitudes were not associated with sick leave, future studies may need to explore the role of company policies, practices, or social norms in variations in sick leave rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda S Hashemi
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Ingvild Dalen
- Department of Research, Section of Biostatistics, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway.,Department of Quality and Health Technology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Jens Christoffer Skogen
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway.,Department of Health Promotion, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Bergen, Norway.,Alcohol and Drug Research Western Norway, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Hildegunn Sagvaag
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - David Gimeno Ruiz de Porras
- Southwest Center for Occupational and Environmental Health, Department of Epidemiology, Human Genetics, and Environmental Sciences, School of Public Health in San Antonio, The University of Texas Health Science at Houston, San Antonio, TX, United States.,Center for Research in Occupational Health (CiSAL), Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain.,Consortium for Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBER en Epidemiología y Salud Pública-CIBERESP), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Randi Wågø Aas
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway.,Department of Occupational Therapy, Prosthetics and Orthotics, Faculty of Health Sciences, OsloMet - Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
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S. Hashemi N, Skogen JC, Sevic A, Thørrisen MM, Rimstad SL, Sagvaag H, Riper H, Aas RW. A systematic review and meta-analysis uncovering the relationship between alcohol consumption and sickness absence. When type of design, data, and sickness absence make a difference. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0262458. [PMID: 35015789 PMCID: PMC8752011 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM Earlier research has revealed a strong relationship between alcohol use and sickness absence. The aim of this review was to explore and uncover this relationship by looking at differences in type of design (cross-sectional vs. longitudinal), type of data (self-reported vs. registered data), and type of sickness absence (long-term vs. short term). METHOD Six databases were searched through June 2020. Observational and experimental studies from 1980 to 2020, in English or Scandinavian languages reporting the results of the association between alcohol consumption and sickness absence among working population were included. Quality assessment, and statistical analysis focusing on differences in the likelihood of sickness absence on subgroup levels were performed on each association, not on each study. Differences in the likelihood of sickness absence were analyzed by means of meta-analysis. PROSPERO registration number: CRD42018112078. RESULTS Fifty-nine studies (58% longitudinal) including 439,209 employees (min. 43, max. 77,746) from 15 countries were included. Most associations indicating positive and statistically significant results were based on longitudinal data (70%) and confirmed the strong/causal relationship between alcohol use and sickness absence. The meta-analysis included eight studies (ten samples). The increased risk for sickness absence was likely to be found in cross-sectional studies (OR: 8.28, 95% CI: 6.33-10.81), studies using self-reported absence data (OR: 5.16, 95% CI: 3.16-8.45), and those reporting short-term sickness absence (OR: 4.84, 95% CI: 2.73-8.60). CONCLUSION This review supports, but also challenges earlier evidence on the association between alcohol use and sickness absence. Certain types of design, data, and types of sickness absence may produce large effects. Hence, to investigate the actual association between alcohol and sickness absence, research should produce and review longitudinal designed studies using registry data and do subgroup analyses that cover and explain variability of this association.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neda S. Hashemi
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
- * E-mail: (NSH); , (RWA)
| | - Jens Christoffer Skogen
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
- Department of Health Promotion, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Bergen, Norway
- Alcohol & Drug Research Western Norway, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Aleksandra Sevic
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Mikkel Magnus Thørrisen
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Prosthetics and Orthotics, Faculty of Health Sciences, OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
| | - Silje Lill Rimstad
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
- West Norway Competence Centre (KoRus Stavanger)/Rogaland A-Centre, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Hildegunn Sagvaag
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - Heleen Riper
- Department of Clinical, Neuro, & Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, VU Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam Public Health Research Institute, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Department of Clinical Research, Research Unit for Telepsychiatry and e-Mental Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
- Research Centre for Child Psychiatry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Randi Wågø Aas
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Prosthetics and Orthotics, Faculty of Health Sciences, OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway
- * E-mail: (NSH); , (RWA)
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Muula AS, Mpabulungi L. Cigarette smoking prevalence among school-going adolescents in two African capital cities: Kampala Uganda and Lilongwe Malawi. Afr Health Sci 2008; 7:45-9. [PMID: 17604526 PMCID: PMC2366124 DOI: 10.5555/afhs.2007.7.1.45] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non communicable diseases are a growing public health concern. Globally tobacco-related deaths surpass malaria deaths and yet developing countries' data are lacking. OBJECTIVES To compare prevalence of tobacco use and exposure to tobacco and tobacco-related issues among adolescents in Kampala, Uganda and Lilongwe, Malawi. METHODS Cross sectional data from the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) w used. Data were collected in 2001 in Lilongwe and in 2002 in Uganda using a standardized questionnaire tool. The study was aimed to enrolled schoolchildren aged 13-17 years. RESULTS The prevalence of tobacco smoking in Kampala and Lilongwe among adolescents was 5.6% and 6.2% (p >0.05) respectively. However, adolescents in Lilongwe were statistically significantly more likely to have ever smoked, use other tobacco products and perceived themselves as likely to initiate smoking in the coming year. Exposure to tobacco-related advertisements through billboards, newspapers and magazines was high in both settings. CONCLUSIONS Adolescents are increasingly being exposed to tobacco and tobacco-related advertisements in Lilongwe, Malawi and Kampala, Uganda. There is need to enhance tobacco prevention efforts in developing nations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adamson S Muula
- Department of Community Health, University of Malawi, College of Medicine, Chichiri, Blantyre 3, Malawi.
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