Self-perceived excessive alcohol consumption among employed women: Association with health and psychosocial factors

Abstract

1. IntroductionThere has been an increase in the number of studies focusing on women’s drinking the last20–30 years, but we still need more knowledge on alcohol consumption in differentsubgroups of women with focus on women’s life and living conditions (Bloomfield et al.,1999; Schmidt, Linneas, & Ames, 1990; Wilsnack et al., 2000). So far, earlier studies havepointed out the importance of adverse childhood experiences, current family structure,interpersonal problems, and gender roles at home and at work in the development ofalcohol-related problems in women (Bengtsson et al., 1998; Bloomfield et al., 1999; Klee,Schmidt, & Ames, 1991; Moncrieff, Drummond, Candy, Checinski, & Farmer, 1996;Schmidt et al., 1990; Spak, Spak, & Allebeck, 1997; Wilsnack et al., 2000; Wilsnack,Wilsnack, & Krisjanson, 1998; Wilsnack & Wilsnack, 1995). Also, women with alcoholproblems have been found to have higher levels of sickness absence and disability pension(Hensing & Spak, 1998; Jenkins, 1986; Spak, Hensing, & Allebeck, 1998).Thus, a growing body of indicators of women’s alcohol-related problems is starting toemerge from the literature. However, due to the heterogeneity of women with alcohol-relatedproblems, it is difficult to identify indicators reflecting alcohol-related problems in all women(Schmidt et al., 1990). In this study, possible indicators of excessive alcohol consumptionamong employed women was explored and related to sociodemographic factors, self-perceived health, and sickness absence.