Relationship stress at workplace was associated with problem drinking patterns: a nationwide Internet-based prospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies have limited longitudinal data with inconsistent relationships between workplace stress and problem drinking. This study aimed to investigate the association between work-related stress and the development of problem drinking among Japanese workers. METHODS: A cohort study was conducted using data from a nationwide internet survey in Japan in 2022 and 2023. A total of 8,157 participants (55% men; mean age: 47.2 years) were categorized based on their Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores into non-problem drinking (0-7) and problem drinking (8-40). Work-related stress was assessed using the New Brief Job Stress Questionnaire (BJSQ), which includes 17 items across nine work-related stresses categories such as relationship stress, job demand (quantity and quality), physical demand, environmental stress, job control, skills utilization, suitability, and satisfaction. RESULTS: From 2022 to 2023, 499 participants (360 males, 139 females) transitioned from non-problem to problem drinking. After adjusting for sociodemographic factors, living conditions, self-rated health, smoking and nine work-related strass mutually, male individuals with high relationship stress were more likely to develop problem drinking (adjusted OR: 1.77; 95% CI: 1.20-2.61), and similar but marginal association was observed in female (adjusted OR: 1.74; 95% CI: 1.00-3.04). In addition, male individuals with high physical demand were more likely to develop problem drinking (adjusted OR: 1.39; 95% CI: 1.00-1.94), but not in female. CONCLUSION: Among nine work-related stresses categories, high relationship stress at the workplace in male and female and high physical demand in male was associated with an increased risk of developing problem drinking.