Alcohol use among workers in male-dominated industries: A systematic review of risk factors

Introduction: There is a growing body of work regarding alcohol use and the workplace. However, little work has been conducted on risk factors for alcohol use in male-dominated industries. Method: A systematic review of risk factors for alcohol use in male-dominated industries was undertaken. A male-dominated industry was defined as an industry comprising predominantly male workers (i.e. ≥70%). This included agriculture, construction, mining, manufacturing, transport, and utilities industries. Searches were undertaken of major electronic databases (CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Informit, PsycINFO, PubMed and Scopus), the grey literature, and reference lists of retrieved papers for English language studies published between January 1990 and June 2012. Results: Eighteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Most were cross-sectional in design. Methodological quality was assessed as moderate in nine studies and weak in the remainder. Factors associated with risky alcohol use were categorised into seven domains: demographic (being male, middle age), individual (depressed, negative life events), social norms at work (permissive drinking norms), work conditions (high workloads and job stress, low collegial support), team environment (supervisory abuse), work-home interference (using alcohol to unwind after work), and structural/socio-economic (lower SES workers), with some attenuation by income and other SES factors. Conclusion: Alcohol primary prevention strategies and future research that targets specific high risk industries are warranted to address workplace drinking norms, reduce job workloads and stress, and improve workplace support. Multi-pronged, tailored strategies are needed in male-dominated industries that reflect the needs of high risk groups as well as targeting environmental, social, and contextual factors.