A longitudinal study of the influence of work characteristics, work–family status, and social activities on problem drinking: the Japanese civil servants study

Problem drinking causes a decline in labor productivity among working population. This study examined whether work characteristics, work–family status, and social activities are associated with future problem drinking behavior among Japanese civil servants. A total of 1,535 participants (men: 63.1%, women: 36.9%) with no problem drinking behavior were followed up from 2014 to 2019. A multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to examine the factors associated with future problem drinking behavior. During the five-year follow-up period, the cumulative incidence of problem drinking was 9.6% and 5.8% in men and women, respectively. In both men and women, frequent drinking around three times a week or more and alcohol consumption of two units or more at baseline were associated with future problem drinking. In men, compared with low-grade employees, high-grade employees were less likely to become problem drinkers (OR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.33–0.95). Shift workers were significantly associated with the incidence of problem drinking (OR: 2.96, 95% CI: 1.46–6.00). In women, poor own work performance was significantly associated with problem drinking (OR: 5.30, 95% CI: 1.57–17.86). In conclusion, disadvantaged work characteristics are associated with the development of problem drinking. To prevent problem drinking, attention should be paid to poor work characteristics.