Affiliations: Department of Behavioral Sciences and Community
Health, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, CT, USA | Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,
University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, USA | Screening for Mental Health, Inc., Wellesley Hills,
MA, USA | Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School,
Boston, MA, USA
Note: [] Address for correspondence: Rober H. Aseltine, Jr., Ph.D,
Department of Behavioral Sciences and Community Health, University of
Connecticut Health Center, MC 3910, 263 Farmington Avenue, Farmington, CT
06030-3910, USA. Tel.: +1 860 679 3282; Fax: +1 860 679 1342; E-mail:
aseltine@uchc.edu
Abstract: Background: 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. Methods: 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. Results: 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. Conclusions: 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.
