Drug consumption in workers in France: A comparative study at a 10-year interval (1996 versus 1986)

This study compared drug consumption and associated social factors in worke rs in France between 1986 and 1996. The same transversal survey was perform ed in 1986 and 1996 using the same methodology by means of an anonymous que stionnaire given to the subject and answered in the presence of an occupati onal physician. The 1996 population (2674 subjects) was found to be older ( 37.0 +/- 9.8 versus 35.7 +/- 10.2 years) and to take more drugs (+5.1%) tha n the population of 1986 (2221 subjects). There were fewer manual workers i n the 1996 population. In both periods, women used significantly more drugs in general and more psychoactive (mainly anxiolytic), cardiovascular, endo crine metabolic, and homeopathic drugs than men. The mean value of estimate d difficulty of work was higher in subjects taking drugs in general, and es pecially those taking hypnotic, anxiolytic, psychoactive, antiinflammatory, and digestive drugs in 1986 as well in 1996. In 1986 as well as in 1996, m anual workers took no more drugs than did nonmanual workers in general, exc ept for analgesic and antiinflammatory drugs. Nonmanual workers used homeop athic drugs more than manual workers. The presence of extraprofessional pro blems was associated with an increase in consumption of drugs in general an d psychoactive, hypnotic, anxiolytic, antiinflammatory, cardiovascular, dig estive, and endocrine metabolic drugs in particular, in 1986 as well as in 1996. After adjustment for variables linked to drug use, there was no signi ficant change in total drug consumption in general but a significant decrea se in psychoactive (-49%) (mainly hypnotic [-71%]), and digestive (-39%) dr ug consumption in this population between 1986 and 1996. In contrast, analg esic use significantly increased (+36%). This study underscores the high le vel of drug consumption in workers (more than 40% of the subjects were taki ng drugs). Although there were no quantitative changes, marked qualitative modifications were found with a decrease in consumption of psychoactive (an d mainly hypnotic) and digestive drugs and an increase in analgesic drug us e between 1986 and 1996. Thus, specific drug information programs designed to reduce psychoactive drug consumption and to favor analgesic drugs for be tter pain management seem to have been (at least partly) followed. The stud y also underscores the importance of some social factors associated to gene ral and specific drug use (mainly difficulty of work and presence of extrap rofessional problems, and to a lesser extent, kind of work). Their weight r emained similar in 1986 and 1996. J CLIN EPIDEMIOL 52;5:471-478, 1999. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc.