Reducing heavy alcohol consumption in young restaurant workers.
OBJECTIVE
Restaurant employees often have high rates of heavy drinking and problems with alcohol. This study evaluates reductions in drinking and associated problems at work, in connection with a new program for prevention and early intervention. The program, called Team Resilience, is designed for young restaurant workers.


METHODS
A cluster-randomized trial design was used, with 28 stores from a national casual-dining restaurant chain and 235 of their employees (54% male, 46% female). Fourteen stores received the Team Resilience training workshop, consisting of three 2-hour sessions held on 3 consecutive days. Sessions included group discussion, role-play and practice activities, and a learning game.


RESULTS
Workers in trained stores reported significantly greater decreases in recurring heavy drinking (i.e., having five or more drinks on the same occasion, on 5 or more days in the past month) and work-related problems with alcohol than workers in control stores. In the intervention group, the odds of recurring heavy drinking declined by about one half and the number of work-related problem areas declined by one third following training. In addition, drinking behaviors and problems were tied to age and were most common among employees in their middle 20s.


CONCLUSIONS
Findings support Team Resilience as an effective intervention for reducing drinking and associated problems among young restaurant workers, a population with substantial needs.
Organizational Wellness & Learning Systems, 3221 Collinsworth Street, Suite 220, Fort Worth, Texas 76107, USA. kirk.broome@organizationalwellness.com
Kirk M
KM
Broome
Joel B
JB
Bennett
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003625:Data Collection; D004493:Education; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D012147:Restaurants; D012737:Sex Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D013334:Students; D055815:Young Adult