Drinking and occupational status in New Zealand men

The self-reported alcohol consumption of various occupational groups in New Zealand is examined. A sample of 10,000, representative of the general adult population, was questioned in 1978-1979. Only data on men (N = 5000) are considered in the present study. Various occupations and groups of occupations are ranked on several variables of frequency and quantity of drinking. The interrelationships of these variables and the working conditions related to them are discussed. There is an association between drinking pattern and general social class, but 61% of the specific occupational groups form a cluster in the range of 25-60 ml of absolute alcohol consumed on one or two occasions per week. The extreme positions on drinking variables of specific occupational groups is examined in terms of job characteristics. Most of the correlations are very low; drinking at work is the highest. The relationships can best be described in terms of the social class of the occupational groups and the frequency vs quantity dichotomy. The distribution of the social classes in terms of drinking intensity is discussed. Employment in the lower classes is related to lower frequency and higher quantity of drinking, and higher cirrhosis mortality. Overall, social class appears to be a more important indicator than occupational group or drinking pattern.