Risk Factors for Problematic Alcohol Use Among Male Waste Pickers and Caddies in Johannesburg, South Africa: A Cross-Sectional Study

BackgroundInformal workers may be prone to problematic substance use due to many factors, including adverse working conditions and low income. Therefore, research must be conducted to improve the lifestyle of this vulnerable group of workers. This research aimed to assess problematic alcohol use and risk factors among male informal workers in Johannesburg.MethodsTwo groups of informal workers, waste pickers, and golf caddies were included. Alcohol use was measured using the World Health Organization (WHO) Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) tool. The WHO self-reporting questionnaire (SRQ) for common mental health disorders (CMD) was used to assess mental health. Data analysis included demographic analysis of the participants, assessment of substance use, and the ascertainment of drinking problem risk factors.ResultsThe study consisted of 514 participants, of which 48.4% were golf caddies and 51.6%, waste pickers. Most participants were younger than 40 years (50.9%). Over half of the participants (54.7%) were alcohol consumers and 74.1% were smokers. Over 60% of the participants who were alcohol consumers had a probable drinking problem. The prevalence of mental distress in the study group was 27% mental distress. Unstratified regression results showed that informal workers positive for mental distress were more likely to have a probable drinking problem (aOR=1.06; 95%CI: 1.01 – 1.11). Informal workers aged 30 – 40 years (aOR=2.06; 95%CI: 1.13 – 3.75), and those who were smokers (aOR=2.25; 95%CI: 1.33 – 3.80) were also more likely to have a probable drinking problem.ConclusionProblematic drinking amongst informal workers in this study was common along with smoking. Problematic alcohol use was associated with the type of informal work, mental distress, age, and smoking. Measures such as providing counselling services to informal workers and improvement of working conditions are needed to change the behaviours of this vulnerable group.