SynthesisPloS one2022
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.
Synthesis in PloS one, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.
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Who cites it
8 citing papers in PubMed.
- Job strain, social support, and alcohol-related health problems: A register-based cohort study.Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health · 2026Article
- Alcohol craving and levels of suppression of depression, anxiety and anger in patients before and after alcohol dependence treatment in the form of a day ward.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2026Article
- Risk factors for harmful alcohol consumption among employees and intervention strategies used in the workplace: current state of knowledge based on a literature review.Frontiers in public health · 2025Review
- Hazardous alcohol consumption across different industries in Sweden: a pooled cross-sectional study.Alcohol and alcoholism (Oxford, Oxfordshire) · 2024Article
- Contribution of compositional changes in the workforce to sickness absence trends in Finland.SSM - population health · 2023Article
- Are workplace factors associated with employee alcohol use? The WIRUS cross-sectional study.BMJ open · 2022Article
- Working with alcohol prevention in occupational health services: "knowing how" is more important than "knowing that" - the WIRUS OHS study.Addiction science & clinical practice · 2022Article
- 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.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
aimEarlier 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).
methodSix 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.
resultsFifty-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).
conclusionThis 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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