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Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Review article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Review article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Hazardous, harmful, and dependent alcohol use in healthcare professionals
T2 - a systematic review and meta-analysis
AU - Halsall, Lauren
AU - Irizar, Patricia
AU - Burton, Sam
AU - Waring, Sara
AU - Giles, Susan
AU - Goodwin, Laura
AU - Jones, Andrew
PY - 2023/11/28
Y1 - 2023/11/28
N2 - Background: Healthcare professionals work in high-pressured and demanding environments, which has been linked to the use of alcohol as a coping strategy. This international review aimed (i) to determine the pooled prevalence of hazardous, harmful, dependent, and frequent binge drinking in healthcare professionals, and (ii) to explore factors associated with variation in these outcomes. Methods: Scopus, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO were searched from 2003 to 17th November 2022, for studies reporting a prevalence estimate for any outcome among healthcare professionals. Random-effects meta-analyses determined pooled prevalence estimates. Sub-group analyses were conducted, stratifying the meta-analyses by pandemic period vs pre-pandemic period. Meta-regressions explored factors that were associated with variation in the outcomes. PROSPERO (CRD42020173119). Results: After screening 9,108 records, 64 studies were identified as eligible. The pooled prevalence was 19.98% [95% Confidence Intervals [CI]: 16.05–24.23%] for hazardous alcohol use (K = 52), 3.17% [95% CI: 0.95–6.58%] for harmful drinking (K = 8), 14.59% [95% CI: 7.16–25.05%] for dependent drinking (K = 7), and 17.71% [95% CI: 8.34–29.63%] for frequent binge drinking (K = 11). The prevalence of hazardous drinking was greater during the pandemic (28.19%) compared with pre-pandemic estimates (17.95%), though this was not statistically significant (p = 0.049). Studies including all hospital staff (32.04%) showed higher prevalence estimates for hazardous drinking compared with studies of doctors (16.78%) and nurses (27.02%). Conclusion: Approximately one fifth of healthcare professionals drink to hazardous levels, with higher prevalence estimates observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. It may be that healthcare professionals used alcohol to cope with the additional trauma and stressors. Further research is needed to investigate whether this is sustained in the post-pandemic period.
AB - Background: Healthcare professionals work in high-pressured and demanding environments, which has been linked to the use of alcohol as a coping strategy. This international review aimed (i) to determine the pooled prevalence of hazardous, harmful, dependent, and frequent binge drinking in healthcare professionals, and (ii) to explore factors associated with variation in these outcomes. Methods: Scopus, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO were searched from 2003 to 17th November 2022, for studies reporting a prevalence estimate for any outcome among healthcare professionals. Random-effects meta-analyses determined pooled prevalence estimates. Sub-group analyses were conducted, stratifying the meta-analyses by pandemic period vs pre-pandemic period. Meta-regressions explored factors that were associated with variation in the outcomes. PROSPERO (CRD42020173119). Results: After screening 9,108 records, 64 studies were identified as eligible. The pooled prevalence was 19.98% [95% Confidence Intervals [CI]: 16.05–24.23%] for hazardous alcohol use (K = 52), 3.17% [95% CI: 0.95–6.58%] for harmful drinking (K = 8), 14.59% [95% CI: 7.16–25.05%] for dependent drinking (K = 7), and 17.71% [95% CI: 8.34–29.63%] for frequent binge drinking (K = 11). The prevalence of hazardous drinking was greater during the pandemic (28.19%) compared with pre-pandemic estimates (17.95%), though this was not statistically significant (p = 0.049). Studies including all hospital staff (32.04%) showed higher prevalence estimates for hazardous drinking compared with studies of doctors (16.78%) and nurses (27.02%). Conclusion: Approximately one fifth of healthcare professionals drink to hazardous levels, with higher prevalence estimates observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. It may be that healthcare professionals used alcohol to cope with the additional trauma and stressors. Further research is needed to investigate whether this is sustained in the post-pandemic period.
KW - COVID-19
KW - drinking
KW - occupational health
KW - health personnel
KW - meta-analysis
KW - alcohol
U2 - 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1304468
DO - 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1304468
M3 - Review article
VL - 11
JO - Frontiers in Public Health
JF - Frontiers in Public Health
SN - 2296-2565
M1 - 1304468
ER -