title: Workplace Discrimination Is Associated With Alcohol Abuse Among Ethnically Diverse Hospital Staff.
abstract: Research suggests that workplace discrimination plays a role in absenteeism, productivity, and turnover. A link among workplace discrimination, mental health, and health disparities may also exist. The purpose of this study was to determine whether self-reported workplace discrimination is associated with alcohol abuse among hospital workers. Cross-sectional analysis of baseline data collected from a prospective cohort study of workers in two healthcare institutions (n = 664) was conducted. Workplace discrimination in the previous 12 months was reported by 14% (n = 91) of participants who were four times more likely to score higher on likely alcohol abuse than their peers. White participants who reported any discrimination were more likely to score higher on likely alcohol abuse than racial/ethnic minority participants who reported any discrimination. Given a diversifying workforce, further research is needed on how workplace discrimination contributes to stress and maladaptive coping, and ultimately health disparities.
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill angela.thrasher@unc.edu.
authors.forename: Angela D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Thrasher
authors.affiliation: Morgan State University.
authors.forename: Anita M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.affiliation: University of South Carolina.
authors.forename: S Melinda
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Spencer
authors.affiliation: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cofie
authors.affiliation: University of California, San Francisco.
authors.forename: Irene H
authors.initials: IH
authors.lastname: Yen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000208:ethnology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010564:Personnel, Hospital / Q000523:psychology*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D044469:Racial Groups / Q000523:psychology*; D057566:Self Report; D063508:Social Discrimination; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: alcohol abuse; discrimination; disparities; employees; race/ethnicity