Occupational Medicine 53:518-526 (2003)
Copyright © 2003 Society of Occupational Medicine
Screening for high-risk and elevated alcohol consumption in day and shift workers by use of the AUDIT and CDT
1Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Dependency Disorders, Karolinska Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
2Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Occupational Medicine, Umeå University Hospital, Umeå and Department of Nursing and Health Sciences, Public Health, Mid Sweden University, Sundsvall, Sweden.
3Occupational Health Service Department, Arlanda Airport, Arlanda, Sweden.
4School of Social Work, Department of Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
Correspondence to: Ulric Hermansson, Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Dependency Disorders, Karolinska Hospital, S-171 76 Stockholm, Sweden. e-mail ulric{at}bahnhof.se
Abstract
Background Alcohol consumption levels and drinking patterns have been reported to vary between day and shift workers, although the results have been conflicting. Previous results indicate that questions about alcohol habits may be asked in the workplace. However, no studies have evaluated the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) or the alcohol biomarker carbohydrate-deficient transferrin (CDT) in serum for this purpose.
Aim To investigate, in conjunction with routine health examinations, whether there is any difference between permanent day and shift workers in high-risk alcohol consumption, according to the AUDIT and CDT. Gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) in serum was included mainly as a comparison test.
Methods The employees who attended for a regular health examination during the study period were offered voluntary alcohol screening with the AUDIT and CDT.
Results Altogether, 990 employees (day, two-shift, and three-shift workers) participated in the study, 194 (20%) of whom screened positive with the AUDIT and/or CDT. There were no significant differences in the screening results between day and shift workers, whereas significantly fewer of the two-shift workers (odds ratio = 0.5, 95% confidence interval = 0.3–0.9) screened positive with CDT.
Conclusions The present findings on employees who attended for regular health examinations suggest that shift workers did not show a higher level of risky alcohol consumption than day workers, according to the results with the AUDIT, CDT and GGT. On the contrary, the two-shift workers appeared to drink significantly less.
Keywords AUDIT; CDT; GGT; shift work; work schedules
Received January 14, 2002
Revised February 5, 2003
Accepted June 24, 2003