Prevalence and predictors of problematic alcohol use, risky sexual practices and other negative consequences associated with alcohol use among safety and security employees in the Western Cape, South Africa
Date
2014-03-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
BioMed Central
Abstract
Introduction: Harmful alcohol use can compromise worker health and productivity. Persons employed in safetysensitive occupations are particularly vulnerable to hazardous alcohol use and its associated risks. This study describes
the patterns of harmful alcohol use, related HIV risks and risk factors for the harmful use of alcohol among a sample of
employees in South Africa working in the safety and security sector.
Methods: A cross-sectional study that formed the baseline for a clustered randomized control trial was undertaken in
2011. A random sample of 325 employees employed within a safety and security sector of a local municipality in the Western Cape Province of South Africa participated in the study. Data were collected by means of an 18-page
self-administered structured questionnaire and analyzed using SAS/STAT software version 9.2. For all significance
testing, the F-statistic and p-values are reported.
Results: Three hundred and twenty-five employees were surveyed. Findings suggest that more than half (76.1%) of the 78.9% of participants who consumed alcohol engaged in binge drinking, with close to a quarter reporting a CAGE
score greater than the cut-off of 2, indicating potentially hazardous drinking patterns. The study further found that
employees who use alcohol are more likely to engage in risky sexual practices when under the influence. A favorable
drinking climate (p < 0.001) and poor levels of group cohesion (p = 0.009) were significantly correlated to binge drinking.
Conclusion: This study identifies alcohol-related behaviors and associated risks in the context of safety-sensitive
occupations at the workplace. It suggests that persons employed within such positions are at high risk for developing
alcohol-related disorders and for contracting HIV. This study highlights the need for testing a comprehensive package
of services designed to prevent hazardous alcohol use among safety and security employees.
Description
CITATION: Burnhams, N. H., Parry, C., Laubscher, R. & London, L. 2014. Prevalence and predictors of problematic alcohol use, risky sexual practices and other negative consequences associated with alcohol use among safety and security employees in the Western Cape, South Africa. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 9:14, doi:10.1186/1747-597X-9-14.
The original publication is available at http://substanceabusepolicy.biomedcentral.com
The original publication is available at http://substanceabusepolicy.biomedcentral.com
Keywords
Security guards -- Alcohol use -- Western Cape (South Africa), Alcoholism -- Risk factors, Alcoholism and employment -- Western Cape (South Africa)
Citation
Burnhams, N. H., Parry, C., Laubscher, R. & London, L. 2014. Prevalence and predictors of problematic alcohol use, risky sexual practices and other negative consequences associated with alcohol use among safety and security employees in the Western Cape, South Africa. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 9:14, doi:10.1186/1747-597X-9-14.