Alcohol consumption and work-related injuries among farmers in Heilongjiang Province, People's Republic of China.
BACKGROUND
Alcohol consumption has been found to be associated with work-related injuries among workers around the world, but this association has not well been studied among agricultural workers in China.


METHODS
This population-based survey aimed to study the association between alcohol use and work-related agricultural injury. Farmers in a northeastern province of China were questioned about work-related injury in the past year (May 2007-April 2008), alcohol use, farming practices, and sociodemographic factors. The Chi-square test and logistic regression analyses were used to investigate the role of alcohol drinking in agricultural injuries.


RESULTS
Among 2,050 farmers who completed the survey, the 12-month prevalence of work-related injury was 12.2%. The leading external cause of injury was exposure to mechanical force. The odds of injury among farmers with past month drinking, who drank distilled spirits, and reported intoxication were respectively 1.77 (95% CI = 1.27-2.47), 1.89 (95% CI = 1.35-2.66), 2.12 (95% CI = 1.42-3.11). The odds of injury also significantly increased with greater average amounts of pure alcohol per day, with increased frequency of drinking per week, and with greater reported years of drinking. Each alcohol use variable was associated with injury in logistic regression models while controlling for sex, age, years of farm work, months of farm work in the past 12 months, driving a motor vehicle, and agricultural machinery use.


CONCLUSIONS
We found a significant association between alcohol consumption and work-related injuries among farmers. Our findings stress the need for culturally appropriate interventions which affect alcohol use and prevent injuries among Chinese farmers.
Wang
Limin
L
School of Public Health, Qiqihar Medical University, Heilongjiang Province, People's Republic of China. wlm65@126.com
Wheeler
Krista
K
Bai
Li
L
Stallones
Lorann
L
Dong
Yanmei
Y
Ge
Jie
J
Xiang
Huiyun
H
D000062:Accidents, Occupational / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000383:Agriculture / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003625:Data Collection; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009784:Occupational Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult