Abstainers are more likely to be absent from work than moderate alcohol users

Why are no alcohol-drinking people often ill?

The consumption of too much alcohol often leads to a so-called hangover the next day. If this is particularly strong, those affected usually can not appear to work. However, researchers now found that no alcohol-drinking people are sick at all, compared to people who consume moderate amounts of alcohol.

Researchers at the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health have found in their recent research that not consuming alcohol does not necessarily lead to fewer sick days at work compared to alcohol-drinking people. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Addiction".

Are alcohol-drinking people generally more likely to be ill than no alcohol-drinking people at all? (Image: Syda Productions / fotolia.com)

Disease rates were higher in abstainers and heavy drinkers

The experts examined the relationship between alcohol consumption and absenteeism at work in the UK, France and Finland. The scientists were able to determine that the disease rates were generally higher in people who drank either strongly or not at all. The findings are of paramount importance to mental health, say the authors. If people completely abstain from alcohol, this also seems to increase the likelihood of developing a mental disorder, add the physicians. The renunciation of alcohol, for example, had a negative effect on a digestive disorder and so-called musculoskeletal injuries.

Alcohol consumption is never safe for your health

Researchers did not analyze the increased risk of early death and the emergence of diseases, such as cancer, associated with the use of alcohol in the study. A recent report on this issue found that there is no amount of alcohol that is safe for our health.

What else has an effect on the days of absence at work??

It is possible that people who drink little or no alcohol, because their general condition or medication taken prevent this, but still stay away from work because of their state of health, the scientists suspect. However, this could not be statistically verified by the authors. The study also found that abstainers were more likely to come from poorer backgrounds, another trait associated with high rates of illness and less regular work. When people ingested high levels of alcohol, there was an increased loss of working time due to injury or poisoning, explain the physicians. Some illnesses or their treatment prevent the consumption of alcohol, which could explain the excessive risks in abstainers, adds the study author Dr. Jenni Ervasti from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health added.

Where did the data come from??

Data from the survey come from surveys on alcohol consumption conducted between 1985 and 2004. A total of 47,520 people participated in these surveys in the three countries, the researchers say. The records of alcohol consumption were then compared with absence from work.

Moderate drinking does not lead to more days off

Despite the limitations of the study design, the results are important, especially since the trend can be observed in three countries with very different drinking cultures, the authors explain. It does not say that abstinence from alcohol is bad for your health, but abstainers seem to be uncomfortable for the time being. The results of the study by no means provide evidence that drinking alcohol does not harm or even be healthy, but they suggest that moderate drinking is unlikely to lead to more absenteeism at work, the researchers say. (As)