Per capita alcohol consumption and sickness absence in Norway
The European Journal of Public Health Advance Access published online on April 15, 2009


There is only one previous study addressing the relationship between population drinking and sickness absence. That study, based on Swedish time-series data, showed a statistically significant relationship between per capita alcohol consumption and the male sickness absence rate. Estimates suggested that a 1-l increase in consumption was associated with a 13% increase in sickness absence among men. In the present study, we aim at replicating and expanding the Swedish study on the basis of data for Norway.

The results suggested that a 1-l increase in total consumption was associated with a 13% increase in sickness absence among men (P < 0.05). This corresponds to an elasticity coefficient equal to 0.62. The alcohol effect was not significant for women. Unemployment was negatively associated with the outcome for men as well as for women (P < 0.05). In the beverage-specific analyses, spirits were statistically significant for men (P < 0.05), but not beer and wine.

The present findings strengthen the conclusion from the Swedish study, that sickness absence may be added to the list of indicators of alcohol-related harm.

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