Screening for Hazardous Drinking in Migrant Workers in Southeastern Spain

Abstract

Screening for Hazardous Drinking in Migrant Workers in Southeastern Spain : Maria D. PEREZ‐CARCELES, et al. Department of Health and Social Sciences, Regional Campus of International Excellence “Campus Mare Nostrum”, School of Medicine, University of Murcia, E30100, Spain— Objectives Despite the great impact the migration has had in economic, social and health‐related fields, and the repercussions of alcohol consumption on them, few data exist concerning the extent of alcohol consumption in migrant workers. The aims of this study were to identify workers with a hazardous drinking problem by means of a self‐reported questionnaire (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test‐AUDIT) and a biomarker (carbohydrate‐deficient transferrin‐CDT) and to ascertain associated risk factors. Methods A cross‐sectional survey was conducted using a random sample of 385 migrant workers, undergoing a routine health examination as part of occupational health services. Results The results showed that 13.8% (n=53) of the workers were screened as positive with the AUDIT (≥8) and/or CDT (>2.6) and identified as hazardous drinkers and that 53.8% (n=207) were teetotallers. Being a man (OR: 2.0), working in the construction industry (OR: 2.8) or agriculture (OR: 2.2), being resident in Spain for more than 7 years (OR: 2.3) and sharing a house with friends were the factors most closely associated with hazardous drinking. Conclusions Prevention‐orientated programs, adjusted to the characteristics of each country and the origin of the migrants themselves, should be instituted to modify the drinking habits of migrant workers considered at risk.

Occupational Health and Safety of Immigrant Workers in Italy and Spain: A Scoping Review

“…Then, we excluded most of these potentially relevant papers ( n = 3595–98%) in the initial screening based on titles and abstracts. Overall, 77 articles were read in full, 43 of which [18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57,58,59,60] were excluded, while 34 [61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69,70,71,72,73,74,75,76,77,78,79,80,81,82,83,84,85,86,…”

Migrant Workers and Physical Health: an Umbrella Review

“…The data available to us through this review of the literature confirm this trend, as many studies highlight the greater risk of incurring accidents for migrant workers, as they often work in hazardous environments without safety devices available, especially in the productive sectors and building [79]. Construction workers are among the categories most exposed to various risks at the workplace, physical, chemical, biological and ergonomic [44,77]. This category of work is more likely to incur trauma, even fatal, and to develop respiratory diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, silicosis, and dermatological diseases [80].…”

“…Some authors have associated hazardous alcohol consumption with the type of work [76,77]. Construction and agriculture, both open to the inclement weather, traditionally offer hard work conditions, and ingestion of alcohol before beginning work is a common habit [44]. Occupational health services are one of the pillars for conducting early interventions; for prevention in fact, work is the ideal place for the homogeneity of the population concerned, the free access to all employees and the possibility of follow-up activity.…”

“…The results show that 13% of 385 migrant workers were positive with AUDIT> 8 and / or CDT> 2.6. Male sex, work in construction or agriculture, being resident in Spain for 7 years and sharing a home with friends are the most associated risk factors for increased alcohol consumption [44].…”

The Influence of Perceived Stress on the Alcohol Consumption of the Filipino Migrant Workers in South Korea

“…In China, Risky drinking practices among female migrants' women in entertainment venues are prevalent [26]. Also, a significant number of migrant workers in Spain are identified as hazardous drinkers [27] On recognizing the increased health risk brought about by alcohol consumption among migrant workers, the interest to study the impact of perceived stress on alcohol consumption among migrant workers was heightened. Many research studies have been conducted to explore the relationship among perceived stress and alcohol consumption.…”