title: Harmful drinking after job loss: a stronger association during the post-2008 economic crisis?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study investigated, among the Dutch working population, whether job loss during the post-2008 economic crisis is associated with harmful drinking and whether this association is stronger than before the crisis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Repeated cross-sectional data from the Dutch Health Interview Survey 2004-2013 were used to define episodic drinking (≥6 glasses on 1 day ≥1/week) and chronic drinking (≥14 glasses/week for women and ≥21 for men). These data were linked to longitudinal data from tax registries, to measure the experience and duration of job loss during a 5-year working history.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before the crisis, job loss experience and duration were not associated with harmful drinking. During the crisis, job loss for more than 6 months was associated with episodic drinking [OR 1.40 (95% CI 1.01; 1.94)], while current job loss was associated with chronic drinking [OR 1.43 (95% CI 1.03; 1.98)]. These associations were most clear in men and different between the pre-crisis and crisis period (p interaction = 0.023 and 0.035, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results suggest that economic crises strengthen the potential impact of job loss on harmful drinking, predominately among men.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, J2-215, Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Moniek C M
authors.initials: MCM
authors.lastname: de Goeij
authors.affiliation: Department of Socio-economic and Spatial Statistics, Statistics Netherlands, PO Box 4481, 6401 CZ, Heerlen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jan-Willem
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Bruggink
authors.affiliation: Department of Socio-economic and Spatial Statistics, Statistics Netherlands, PO Box 4481, 6401 CZ, Heerlen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ferdy
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Otten
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, J2-215, Academic Medical Center (AMC), University of Amsterdam, PO Box 22660, 1100 DD, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. a.kunst@amc.uva.nl.
authors.forename: Anton E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Kunst
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D057172:Economic Recession; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D012737:Sex Factors; D013997:Time Factors; D014478:Unemployment / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Alcohol; Drinking; Economic crisis; Job loss; Sex