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Occupational Medicine Advance Access originally published online on May 21, 2009
Occupational Medicine 2009 59(5):323-326; doi:10.1093/occmed/kqp060
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© The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Alcohol consumption among veterinary surgeons in the UK

David J. Bartram, Julia M. A. Sinclair and David S. Baldwin

Mental Health Group, Division of Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Southampton, RSH Hospital, Brintons Terrace, Southampton SO14 0YG, UK

Background Alcohol consumption can have both medical and occupational implications and may affect fitness to practise among veterinary surgeons (vets).

Aims To investigate alcohol consumption and the prevalence and associations of ‘at-risk’ drinking among vets in the UK.

Methods Alcohol consumption was measured using the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test alcohol consumption questions (AUDIT-C) embedded in a questionnaire which included measures of mental health and psychosocial working conditions, administered to a representative sample of 1796 vets. Scores of ≥4 for women and ≥5 for men were used as an indicator of ‘at-risk’ drinking.

Results The response rate was 56%. Five per cent of respondents were non-drinkers, 32% low-risk drinkers and 63% at-risk drinkers. The estimated odds of at-risk drinking was not significantly different for men and women. A 1-year increase in age was associated with a 2% reduction in the odds of at-risk drinking (OR 0.98, 95% CI: 0.97–0.99, P < 0.01). There was no significant difference across hours worked or on call in a typical week. Lower psychological demands at work were associated with reduced odds of at-risk drinking (OR 0.75, 95% CI: 0.63–0.90, P < 0.01).

Conclusions It is estimated that vets drink more frequently than the general population, but consume less on a typical drinking day and have a prevalence of daily and weekly binge drinking that is similar to the general population. The level of alcohol consumption does not appear to be a negative influence on mental health within the profession as a whole.

Keywords      Alcohol; alcohol use disorders; AUDIT-C; mental health; veterinary surgeons

Correspondence to: David J. Bartram, Mental Health Group, Division of Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Southampton, RSH Hospital, Brintons Terrace, Southampton SO14 0YG, UK. Tel: +44 23 8082 5538; fax: +44 23 8023 4243; e-mail: djbartram{at}hotmail.com


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