Association of family support, friends, and other people with alcohol consumption among healthcare workers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20073772Keywords:
social support; health personnel; alcoholism; friendsAbstract
Introduction: healthcare workers are viewed as exemplary individuals who promote healthy lifestyles; however, they occasionally experience stressful situations related to work overload, physical exhaustion, or exposure to the risk of disease contagion, which may lead to alcohol consumption as a coping mechanism.
Objective: to determine the association of family support, friends, and other people with alcohol consumption among healthcare workers from two hospitals in Monterrey, Mexico.
Method: a correlational, predictive, cross-sectional study conducted on 420 healthcare workers selected through systematic random sampling. The Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support (MSPSS) and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) were used, adhering to the Helsinki Declaration and the Mexican General Health Law on Health Research. Cronbach's alpha coefficient and the Kolmogorov‑Smirnov normality test with Lilliefors correction were applied to determine variable distribution.
Results: the overall prevalence of alcohol consumption was 89%. Family social support was positively related to low‑risk consumption (rs=0.105; p=0.032) and negatively related to harmful consumption (rs=–0.105; p=0.031) and AUDIT score (rs=–0.102; p=0.038). Family social support was a predictor of AUDIT score (B=–0.139; p=0.004). Friends' social support predicted current (OR=1.034; p=0.041) and binge (OR=1.039; p=0.023) prevalence.
Conclusions: interpersonal support networks can act as protective or risk factors depending on their presence and quality.
Downloads
References
WHO. Global status report on alcohol and health and treatment of substance use disorders. Geneva. World Health Organization; 2024 [consultado 22 Dic 2025]. Disponible en: https://iris.who.int/server/api/core/bitstreams/32b161e9-5683-40f5-a1c3-1c92a76d5cda/content
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Alcohol’s effects on health. Women and alcohol; 2025 [consultado 3 Abr 2025]. Disponible en: https://www.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/brochures-and-fact-sheets/women-and-alcohol
Lozano-Vargas A. Impacto de la epidemia del coronavirus (COVID-19) en la salud mental del personal de salud y en la población general de China. Rev Neuropsiquiatr [Internet]. 2020 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 83(1):51-56. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20453/rnp.v83i1.3687
Madoz-Gúrpide A, Leira-Sanmartin M, Ibañez-Cuadrado A, Ochoa-Mangado E. Self-reported increase in alcohol and drugs intake as a coping strategy in hospital workers during COVID-19 outbreak: a cross-sectional study. Adicciones [Internet]. 2023 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 35(2):143-150. DOI: https://doi.org/10.20882/adicciones.1643
Conroy DA, Hadler NL, Cho E, Moreira A, MacKenzie Ch, Swanson LM, et al. The effects of COVID-19 stay-at-home order on sleep, health, and working patterns: a survey study of US health care workers. J Clin Sleep Med [Internet]. 2021 [citado 3 de Abr 2025]; 17:185-191. DOI: https://doi.org/doi: 10.5664/jcsm.8808
Cortés-Álvarez NY, Vuelvas-Olmos CR. Psychological effects and associated factors in Mexican nurses. Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness [Internet]. 2022 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 16(4):1377-1383. DOI: https://doi.org/doi: 10.1017/dmp.2020.495
Silczuk A. Threatening increase in alcohol consumption in physicians quarantined due to coronavirus outbreak in Poland: the ALCOVID survey. J of Public Health [Internet]. 2020 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 42(3):461-465. DOI: https://doi.org/doi:10.1093/pubmed/fdaa110
Peláez-Zuberbuhler J, Thern E, Karlsen HR, Innstrand ST, Christensen M, Landstad BJ, et al. Problem drinking and comorbidity with mental ill health: a cross-sectional study among healthcare workers in Sweden. Alcohol and Alcoholism [Internet]. 2025 [citado 22 Dic 2025]; 60(3). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/alcalc/agaf016
Foli KJ, Zhang L, Reddick B. Predictors of substance use in registered nurses: the role of psychological trauma. West J Nurs Res [Internet]. 2021 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 43(11):1023-1033. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0193945920987123
Castillo-Martínez G, Torres-Benítez JM, Arriaga-Martínez JL. Consumo de alcohol en el personal de enfermería de un hospital de segundo nivel de atención. Ciencia Latina [Internet]. 2022 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 6(6):8006-8021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.37811/cl_rcm.v6i6.3971
Xie J, Liu M, Zhong Z, Zhang Q, Zhou J, Wang L, et al. Relationships among character strengths, self-efficacy, social support, depression, and psychological well-being of hospital nurses. Asian Nursing Research [Internet]. 2020 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 14(3):150-157. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anr.2020.06.002
García-Torres M, García-Méndez M, Rivera-Aragón S. Apoyo social en adultos mexicanos: validación de una escala. Acta de Investigación Psicológica [Internet]. 2018 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 7(1):2562-2567. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aipprr.2017.02.004
Momeñe J, Estevez A, Perez-Garcia AM, Jimenez J, Chavez-Vera MD, Olave L, et al. Substance abuse and its relationship to emotional dependence, attachment and emotional regulation in adolescents. An Psicol [Internet]. 2021 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 37(1):121-132. DOI: https://doi.org/10.6018/analesps.404671
Zimet G, Dahlem N, Zimet S, Farley G. The multidimensional scale of perceived social support. J Pers Assess [Internet]. 1988 [citado 3 de Abr 2025]; 52(1):30-41. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa5201_2
Mosqueda Díaz A, Mendoza Parra S, Jofré Aravena V, Barriga O. Validez y confiabilidad de una escala de apoyo social percibido en población adolescente. Enferm Glob [Internet]. 2015 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 39:125-136. Disponible en: https://scielo.isciii.es/ scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1695-61412015000300006
Babor TF, Higgins-Biddle JC, Saunders JB, Monteiro MG. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test: guidelines for use in primary health care (2nd ed). World Health Organization; 2001 [consultado 3 Abr 2025] Disponible en: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/WHO-MSD-MSB-01.6a
De la Fuente JR, Kershenobich DI. El alcoholismo como problema médico. Rev Fac Med UNAM [Internet]. 1992 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 35(2):47-51. Disponible en: https://www.revistas.unam.mx/ind ex.php/rfm/article/view/74093
Secretaría de Gobernación. Reglamento de la Ley General de Salud en Materia de Investigación para la Salud. Diario Oficial de la Federación. México [Internet]. 2014 [citado 3 Abr 2025] Disponible en: https://www.conbioetica-mexico.salud.gob.mx/descargas/pdf/normatividad/normatinacional/10._NAL._Reglamento_de_Investigacion.pdf
Morales-Castillo FA, Torres-Reyes A, De Vargas D, Villar-Luis MA, León-Ramírez EG, De León-Ramírez MS, et al. Alcohol consumption patterns and attitudes toward alcohol, alcoholism, and alcoholics in Mexican nurses. J Health NPEPS [Internet]. 2021 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 6(1):106-121. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.30681/252610104993
Álvarez Collado L, Frías Iniesta J, Fernández de Bobadilla Osorio J, Díaz Almirón M. Prevalencia de factores de riesgo cardiovascular en trabajadores de un hospital terciario de Madrid. Rev Asoc Esp Med Trab [Internet]. 2020 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 29(4):274-288. Disponible en: https://scielo.isciii.es/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S3020-11602020000400274
Monakali S, Goon DT, Seekoe E, Owolabi EO. Health-Promoting lifestyle behaviours among primary healthcare proffesional nurses in eastern cape province, South Africa. Glob J Health Sci [Internet]. 2019 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 11(1):92-102. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v11n1p92
Obadeji A, Oluwole LO, Dada M, Oshatimi MA. Alcohol use and psychological wellbeing of health workers in a Nigerian Hospital: An exploratory study. Malawi Medical J [Internet]. 2018 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 30(1):31–36. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4314/mmj.v30i1.7
Abdulmohdi N. The relationships between nurses’ resilience, burnout, perceived organisational support and social support during the second wave of the covid-19 pandemic: na cuantitative cross-sectional survey. Nurs Open [Internet]. 2023 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 11(1). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/nop2.2036
Beiter KJ, Wiedemann RP, Thomas CL, Conrad EJ. Alcohol consumption and covid-19 related stress among health care workers: the need for continued stress-management interventions. Public Health Rep [Internet]. 2022 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 137(2):326-335. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/00333549211058176
Sergin Ch, McNelis M, Swiatkowski P. Social support indirectly predicts problem drinking through reduced psychological distress. Subst Use Misuse [Internet]. 2016 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 51(5):608-615. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3109/10826084.2015.1126746
Moon TJ, Mathias CW, Mullen J, Karns-Wright TE, Hill-Kapturczak NH, Roache JD, et al. The role of social support in motivating reductions in alcohol use: a test of three models of social support in alcohol-impaired drivers. Alcohol Clin Exp Res [Internet]. 2019 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 43(1):123-134. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/acer.13911
Schug C, Morawa E, Geiser F, Hiebel N, Beschoner P, Jerg-Bretzke L, et al. Social support and optimism as protective factors for mental health among 7765 healthcare workers in Germany during the COVID-19 pandemic: results of the VOICE study. Int J Environ Res Public Health [Internet]. 2021 [citado 3 Abr 2025]; 18(7). DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073827
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Edgar Omar Vázquez-Puente, Karla Selene López-García, Francisco Rafael Guzmán-Facundo, Julia Lizeth Villarreal-Mata, Nora Angélica Armendáriz-García, Adiel Agama-Sarabia
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
