Aseltine Robert H, Demarco Frank J, Wallenstein Gene V, Jacobs Douglas G
Department of Behavioral Sciences and Community Health, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA.
Work. 2009;32(2):165-9. doi: 10.3233/WOR-2009-0802.
The impact of alcohol abuse on worker productivity is considerable and appears to be increasing over time. Although early screening and intervention may help prevent or reduce the damaging health and productivity effects of problem drinking, barriers to behavioral change may render broad-based prevention efforts ineffectual. This study examined the correlates of two potential barriers to changes in drinking behavior--underestimation of drinking and lack of knowledge of helping resources--using data from web-based employee alcohol screenings.
Anonymous screening data from 1185 employees of ten companies participating in the 2003 National Alcohol Screening Day were analyzed. The AUDIT, a 10-item screening instrument developed by the World Health Organization, was used to measure drinking behavior; employees' subjective assessments of their drinking were also obtained.
Over 53% of participants subjectively underestimated their drinking relative to their AUDIT results, and 58% of respondents did not know whether their medical insurance included benefits for alcohol treatment. Logistic regression analysis revealed that younger and male respondents tended to have the highest AUDIT scores and also (along with married respondents) were most likely to underestimate their drinking. Younger, unmarried respondents were least likely to be aware of their alcohol treatment insurance benefits.
Current corporate efforts to curtail problem drinking among employees may not adequately address barriers to change. Targeting at-risk employee groups for alcohol screening and dissemination of information about health insurance benefits and treatment options is recommended, as is providing personalized feedback based on screening results to raise awareness of at-risk drinking and available helping resources.
酗酒对员工生产力的影响相当大，且似乎随着时间的推移而增加。尽管早期筛查和干预可能有助于预防或减少问题饮酒对健康和生产力造成的破坏性影响，但行为改变的障碍可能会使广泛的预防措施无效。本研究利用基于网络的员工酒精筛查数据，考察了饮酒行为改变的两个潜在障碍的相关因素——饮酒量低估和对帮助资源缺乏了解。
对参与2003年全国酒精筛查日活动的10家公司的1185名员工的匿名筛查数据进行了分析。使用世界卫生组织开发的10项筛查工具酒精使用障碍识别测试（AUDIT）来测量饮酒行为；还获取了员工对自己饮酒情况的主观评估。
超过53%的参与者相对于其AUDIT结果主观低估了自己的饮酒量，58%的受访者不知道其医疗保险是否包括酒精治疗福利。逻辑回归分析显示，年轻和男性受访者的AUDIT得分往往最高，并且（与已婚受访者一起）也最有可能低估自己的饮酒量。年轻、未婚的受访者最不可能知晓其酒精治疗保险福利。
当前企业为减少员工问题饮酒所做的努力可能无法充分解决改变的障碍。建议针对有风险的员工群体进行酒精筛查，并传播有关健康保险福利和治疗选择的信息，同时根据筛查结果提供个性化反馈，以提高对危险饮酒和可用帮助资源的认识。
