| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS | REGISTER |
|
|
|
|
|||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||
ORIGINAL ARTICLE |
1 Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, UK
2 Department of Psychiatry, Institute of Community Health Sciences, Barts and the London, Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, London, UK
3 Department of Medical Sociology, University of Duesseldorf P.B. 10 10 07 40001, Dusseldorf, Germany
Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Ms J Head
Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London WC1E 6BT, UK; j.head{at}ucl.ac.uk
Aims: To examine whether a stressful psychosocial work environment predicts alcohol dependence.
Methods: Alcohol dependence of participants in the Whitehall II occupational cohort of London based civil servants (1985–88) was measured in 1991–93 using the CAGE questionnaire. The psychosocial work environment was measured by self report questions on the job demand-support-control model and on the model of effort-reward imbalance. Potential mediators including physical illness and poor mental health (GHQ) were measured at follow up in 1989.
Results: Effort-reward imbalance at work was associated with alcohol dependence in men after adjustment for employment grade and other baseline factors related to alcohol dependence. Although effort-reward imbalance predicted future longstanding illness, poor mental health and negative aspects of close relationships, the association between effort-reward imbalance and alcohol dependence in men was only partially mediated through these health and social support measures. In women, low decision latitude was related to alcohol dependence to some extent, but alcohol dependence among women was more prevalent in higher occupational grades. Men with high job demands or with low work social supports had a slightly reduced risk of alcohol dependence. No association was found between objectively assessed demands, job control, and alcohol dependence in either men or women.
Conclusion: A stressful psychosocial work environment in terms of effort-reward imbalance was found to be a risk factor for alcohol dependence in men. In view of the public health importance of alcohol dependence in working populations these findings call for more emphasis on psychosocial factors in occupational health research and prevention.
Keywords: alcohol dependence; effort-reward imbalance; job strain; social support; work related stress
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  B. Netterstrom, N. Conrad, P. Bech, P. Fink, O. Olsen, R. Rugulies, and S. Stansfeld The Relation between Work-related Psychosocial Factors and the Development of Depression Epidemiol. Rev., June 27, 2008; (2008) mxn004v1. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 B. Gilbreath Creating Career-Conducive Organizations: A Primary Intervention Approach Advances in Developing Human Resources, February 1, 2008; 10(1): 8 - 31. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Kouvonen, M. Kivimaki, M. Elovainio, A. Vaananen, R. De Vogli, T. Heponiemi, A. Linna, J. Pentti, and J. Vahtera Low organisational justice and heavy drinking: a prospective cohort study Occup. Environ. Med., January 1, 2008; 65(1): 44 - 50. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. Kopp, A. Skrabski, Z. Szanto, and J. Siegrist Psychosocial determinants of premature cardiovascular mortality differences within Hungary. J. Epidemiol. Community Health, September 1, 2006; 60(9): 782 - 788. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A Kouvonen, M Kivimaki, M Elovainio, J Pentti, A Linna, M Virtanen, and J Vahtera Effort/reward imbalance and sedentary lifestyle: an observational study in a large occupational cohort Occup. Environ. Med., June 1, 2006; 63(6): 422 - 427. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. L. Reed, C. L. Storr, and J. C. Anthony Drug Dependence Enviromics: Job Strain in the Work Environment and Risk of Becoming Drug-Dependent Am. J. Epidemiol., March 1, 2006; 163(5): 404 - 411. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M Bobak, H Pikhart, R Kubinova, S Malyutina, A Pajak, H Sebakova, R Topor-Madry, Y Nikitin, W Caan, and M Marmot The association between psychosocial characteristics at work and problem drinking: a cross-sectional study of men in three Eastern European urban populations Occup. Environ. Med., August 1, 2005; 62(8): 546 - 550. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A. Steptoe, J. Siegrist, C. Kirschbaum, and M. Marmot Effort--Reward Imbalance, Overcommitment, and Measures of Cortisol and Blood Pressure Over the Working Day Psychosom Med, May 1, 2004; 66(3): 323 - 329. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS | REGISTER |
