Alcohol consumption and complaints from the musculoskeletal system among engine drivers--an epidemiological study

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that a positive correlation exist between level of alcohol consumption and complaints from the musculoskeletal system. 150 randomly selected engine drivers from Sweden were interviewed about complaints from the musculoskeletal system during the last 12 months. In this study the complaints from the neck, shoulders and lower back were investigated. An index counting number of regions with complaints was computed. The subjects were asked to report their level of alcohol consumption during the last month (beer, wine and spirits). The total alcohol consumption was calculated expressed in terms of 40% pure alcohol. The median consumption was 39.5 cl/month. The engine drivers reporting complaints from the neck had a significantly higher consumption of alcohol than those without such complaints. A positive significant correlation existed between the number of complaints (index) and alcohol consumption.