Work-related factors and hazardous alcohol use - longitudinal cohort study from Sweden

Abstract

Background: Work-related stress may increase alcohol consumption. This longitudinal study examined associations between long working hours, perceived workload, work-family conflict, and the risk of developing hazardous alcohol use (>108 g/week of alcohol and/or heavy drinking episodes) and alcohol use disorder (AUD).

Methods: The study sample was drawn from the Stockholm Public Health Cohort, a prospective, population-based cohort with survey data linked to health registers. We included individuals from the 2002 (n = 8,063) and 2006 (n = 11,475) sub-cohorts who were aged 22-55 years, in paid work, and were free from hazardous alcohol use and prior AUD. Participants were followed for hazardous alcohol use via surveys and for AUD via registers until 2021. Logistic regression with inverse probability censoring weights and Cox regression were used to estimate associations.

Results: Overall, 18% reported working ≥45 hours/week, 55% wished to work fewer hours, and 18% reported work-family conflict. Long working hours were weakly associated with an increased risk of hazardous alcohol use (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.2–1.4), and work–family conflict was associated with a higher risk of AUD (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2–1.4).

Conclusions: Work-related factors are weakly associated with the subsequent development of hazardous alcohol consumption and higher risk of AUD.

Key messages: • This longitudinal, population-based study combined survey and register-based information to investigate the association between work-related factors and developing hazardous alcohol use.

• Working long hours and work-family conflict were associated with higher risk of developing hazardous alcohol use or alcohol use disorder.

Early-Age alcohol initiation increases the risk of mental disorders in children and adolescents: a longitudinal cohort study
Maojia Ran, Zhujun Wang, Meijiang Jin +6
Translational Psychiatry8 Oct 2026Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Full textEpidemiology & public healthCrossref
Associations of living environmental risk factors and pain with successful aging among older adults in China: longitudinal evidence from the CHARLS cohort
Fei Liu, Haiping Luo, Yuting Huang +3
BMC Public Health17 Oct 2026Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Epidemiology & public healthCrossref
Incident health-related and social-disruption events, cumulative burden, and depressive symptom risk in adults aged 50 years and older: a multinational longitudinal cohort study
Chaoban Wang, Xiao Yang, Ting Dong
BMC Public Health4 Nov 2026Peer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Epidemiology & public healthCrossref
Internet use and health related quality of life in older adults: longitudinal analysis of a population-based cohort
Ana Rita Henriques, Nuno Mendonça, Pedro Aguiar +4
BMC Public Health21 Oct 2026Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-ND 4.0Epidemiology & public healthCrossref
Alcohol use is common in older patients with fall-related fractures: a secondary analysis from a prospective cohort study using PEth as an objective assessment of consumption.
Cecilia Rogmark, Linnea Malmgren, Anna Holmgren +2
Acta orthopaedica19 Oct 2026Peer-reviewedCC BYFull textSurgery & anaesthesiaEurope PMC

Cite

BibTeX RIS

BibTeX

@article{gemes2026workrelated,
  title = {{Work-related factors and hazardous alcohol use - longitudinal cohort study from Sweden}},
  author = {K Gemes and S Kirchner and A Sidorchuk and J Möller and K Engström and E Mittendorfer-Rutz and B Brynedal},
  journal = {The European Journal of Public Health},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.589},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.589},
  note = {CC BY-NC 4.0},
}

RIS

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Work-related factors and hazardous alcohol use - longitudinal cohort study from Sweden
AU  - K Gemes
AU  - S Kirchner
AU  - A Sidorchuk
AU  - J Möller
AU  - K Engström
AU  - E Mittendorfer-Rutz
AU  - B Brynedal
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/01
JO  - The European Journal of Public Health
DO  - 10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.589
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckag169.589
AB  - Background: Work-related stress may increase alcohol consumption. This longitudinal study examined associations between long working hours, perceived workload, work-family conflict, and the risk of developing hazardous alcohol use (>108 g/week of alcohol and/or heavy drinking episodes) and alcohol use disorder (AUD).  Methods: The study sample was drawn from the Stockholm Public Health Cohort, a prospective, population-based cohort with survey data linked to health registers. We included individuals from the 2002 (n = 8,063) and 2006 (n = 11,475) sub-cohorts who were aged 22-55 years, in paid work, and were free from hazardous alcohol use and prior AUD. Participants were followed for hazardous alcohol use via surveys and for AUD via registers until 2021. Logistic regression with inverse probability censoring weights and Cox regression were used to estimate associations.  Results: Overall, 18% reported working ≥45 hours/week, 55% wished to work fewer hours, and 18% reported work-family conflict. Long working hours were weakly associated with an increased risk of hazardous alcohol use (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.2–1.4), and work–family conflict was associated with a higher risk of AUD (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2–1.4).  Conclusions: Work-related factors are weakly associated with the subsequent development of hazardous alcohol consumption and higher risk of AUD.  Key messages: • This longitudinal, population-based study combined survey and register-based information to investigate the association between work-related factors and developing hazardous alcohol use.  • Working long hours and work-family conflict were associated with higher risk of developing hazardous alcohol use or alcohol use disorder.
SN  - 1101-1262
SN  - 1464-360X
ER  -

Abstract

Related

Cite