A cross-sectional study of alcohol drinking and health-related quality of life among male workers in Japan.

BACKGROUND Although light and moderate alcohol drinkers are likely to have better subjective health, the sub-scales for subjective health have not been well documented. METHODS We studied 4,521 male workers aged 25 yr and older with no history of cancer or cardiovascular disease, in 12 occupational groups in Japan. Data were from the High-risk and Population Strategy for Occupational Health Promotion Study (HIPOP-OHP). Drinking status was classified according to daily alcohol intake or frequency of drinking. We assessed the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) based on scores for five scales of the SF-36. RESULTS Decreased odds ratios of sub-optimal HRQOL conditions, defined as less than the median SF-36 scores, for Role-Physical and General Health were found among persons who consumed 1.0 to 22.9 g/d of alcohol. Odds ratios for sub-optimal Vitality conditions were lowered according to increased levels of alcohol intake. Role-Emotional scores were not associated with alcohol drinking. People who drank 5 to 6 d/wk had higher levels of Role-Physical and Vitality, and those who drank 1 to 2 d/wk had better Vitality and Mental Health scores than non-drinkers. When adjusted for age, marital status, working hours, physical activity at work, self-reported job stress, smoking, regular exercise, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes, the associations were almost unchanged except for General Health. CONCLUSIONS Associations of drinking patterns with subjective health varied in five sub-scales of the SF-36. Overall, alcohol drinkers rated their health as good in comparison with non-drinkers.