Relationship stress at workplace was associated with problem drinking patterns: a nationwide Internet-based prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND

Previous studies have limited longitudinal data with inconsistent relationships between workplace stress and problem drinking. This study aimed to investigate the association between work-related stress and the development of problem drinking among Japanese workers.

METHODS

A cohort study was conducted using data from a nationwide internet survey in Japan in 2022 and 2023. A total of 8,157 participants (55% men; mean age: 47.2 years) were categorized based on their Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores into non-problem drinking (0-7) and problem drinking (8-40). Work-related stress was assessed using the New Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ), which includes 17 items across nine work-related stresses categories such as relationship stress, job demand (quantity and quality), physical demand, environmental stress, job control, skills utilization, suitability, and satisfaction.

RESULTS

From 2022 to 2023, 499 participants (360 males, 139 females) transitioned from non-problem to problem drinking. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, living conditions, self-rated health, smoking and nine work-related strass mutually, male individuals with high relationship stress were more likely to develop problem drinking (adjusted OR: 1.77; 95% CI: 1.20-2.61), and similar but marginal association was observed in female (adjusted OR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.00-3.04). In addition, male individuals with high physical demand were more likely to develop problem drinking (adjusted OR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.00-1.94), but not in female.

CONCLUSION

Among nine work-related stresses categories, high relationship stress at the workplace in male and female and high physical demand in male was associated with an increased risk of developing problem drinking.