IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0262458.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

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

Author

Listed:
  • Neda S. Hashemi
  • Jens Christoffer Skogen
  • Aleksandra Sevic
  • Mikkel Magnus Thørrisen
  • Silje Lill Rimstad
  • Hildegunn Sagvaag
  • Heleen Riper
  • Randi Wågø Aas

Abstract

Aim: Earlier 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). Method: Six 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. Results: Fifty-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). Conclusion: This 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.

Suggested Citation

  • Neda S. Hashemi & Jens Christoffer Skogen & Aleksandra Sevic & Mikkel Magnus Thørrisen & Silje Lill Rimstad & Hildegunn Sagvaag & Heleen Riper & Randi Wågø Aas, 2022. "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," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 17(1), pages 1-25, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0262458
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0262458
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0262458
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0262458&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0262458?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bart De Clercq & Els Clays & Heidi Janssens & Dirk De Bacquer & Annalisa Casini & France Kittel & Lutgart Braeckman, 2015. "Health Behaviours As a Mechanism in the Prospective Relation between Workplace Reciprocity and Absenteeism: A Bridge too Far ?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(11), pages 1-13, November.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Dag Ingvar Jacobsen & Elin M. Fjeldbraaten, 2020. "Exploring the Links Between Part-Time Employment and Absenteeism: the Mediating Roles of Organizational Commitment and Work-Family Conflict," Public Organization Review, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 129-143, March.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0262458. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.