The associations between unemployment at a young age and binge drinking and alcohol-related problems

Abstract

Background: Youth unemployment remains at a high stable level in many countries making it a public health problem of importance. The aim was to examine the short-term effect of unemployment at a young age (aged 17-29 years) on self-reported binge drinking and alcohol-related problems. Methods: We used data from a cross-sectional national study that took place in 2013, with a follow-up in 2014. A sample of young adults aged 17-29 years (n = 1188, response rate of 46.3%) that completed both surveys served as the study sample in the current study. The same self-reported questionnaire, consisting of questions regarding their alcohol habits and sociodemographic information, was used on both occasions. Information on the outcomes of binge drinking and alcohol-related harm were obtained from the 2014 survey. From the 2013 survey, information on individual and family level covariates were collected. Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) with employed individuals as the reference group were estimated by logistic regression analysis. Results: At baseline, results indicate that employed individuals reported the greatest prevalence of weekly binge drinking. In the fully adjusted models, unemployment appeared to be associated with an increased risk of alcohol-related problems (OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.77-2.45); however, this was not the case for weekly binge drinking (OR 0. 94, 95% CI 0.45-1.96). Conclusion: Unemployment at a young age may be a risk factor for later alcohol-related problems. Thus, targeting youth unemployment could be one element in an effective health policy aimed at reducing rates of alcohol use disorders.