4063.0 Perceived stress and alcohol consumption in the farming community
Alcohol Poster Session 1: Alcohol-Related Disparities and Priority Populations
Session: Alcohol Poster Session 1: Alcohol-Related Disparities and Priority Populations
Program: Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs
Time: 10:30 - 11:30 AM
Presenter:
Trace Kershaw. PhD
Abstract
Farming is a high-risk, high stress profession and farmers must contend with a number of unique lifestyle and occupational stressors that contribute to higher rates of alcohol consumption, poor mental health outcomes such as depression, and suicide compared to the general population. Rural areas, where many farmers and farm workers live, face a deficit of mental health care resources, often resulting in the use of alcohol to self-medicate and manage stress. The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between perceived stress and alcohol consumption among members of the farming community. An online survey was completed by 1088 farmers and farm workers. Chi-Square independence analysis was used to explore how feeling nervous and stressed in the past month impacted respondents’ likelihood of having six or more drinks on one occasion in the past three months. Of all respondents, 24.9% reported feeling nervous and stressed fairly often within the past month, and 9.3% reported feeling nervous or stressed very often in the same time frame. 26.4% of respondents reported drinking six or more drinks on one occasion on at least a weekly basis. Of those respondents who reported drinking six or more drinks on a daily or almost daily basis, 44% of them reported feeling nervous and stressed very often in the past month (p < 0.1). Respondents who reported feeling nervous and stressed very often in the past month were more likely to report drinking six or more drinks on one occasion in the past three months (p <0.1). Occupational and lifestyle-related stressors associated with the farming industry like high perceived stress and limited access to healthcare resources may be contributing to high frequency of heavy alcohol consumption among members of the farming community.