Alcohol-related sickness absence of young employees in Norway: The impact of social roles and socioeconomic status

Abstract

AIMS – First, to establish whether there are differences in alcohol-related sickness absence according to socioeconomic status and family situation among young employees in Norway. Second, if differences are found, to assess whether they can be attributed mainly to differences in drinking patterns. METHODS – A sample of young, employed adults was obtained from the fourth wave of the Young in Norway study (2005) and the data were merged with registry data from Statistics Norway (N =1611). The data were analysed using cross tables and logistic regression analysis. RESULTS – Being male, single, not having children and having a low income were associated with alcohol-related sickness absence, but the association was not significant on education and social status. Introducing frequencies of drinking and drinking to intoxication in the regression model attenuated some associations with alcohol-related sickness absence. CONCLUSION – Alcohol-related sickness absence is more common among people who are single and without children, and more common among men than women. With the exception of income, socioeconomic factors do not seem to be important. The differences between groups appear to be only partly a result of different drinking patterns.