Alcohol and tobacco use by construction workers: A systematic literature review

Abstract

Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 (SDG 3), which aims to ensure healthy lifestyles and promote well-being for all, is a critical focus within the context of construction health and safety, particularly for construction workers. A significant factor influencing the health and safety of construction workers is their consumption of alcohol and tobacco (A&T). This article presents a systematic review of the research on A&T use among construction workers, an analysis of key findings, research methodologies, and recommendations. A knowledge-mapping approach is applied to 108 articles sourced from the Web of Science (WOS), generating clusters of relevant keywords to illustrate the interrelationships between A&T usage and construction workers. The knowledge map reveals 40 distinct keyword distributions, organised into five clusters, highlighting the key connections between alcohol, tobacco, and construction workers. From an initial pool of 336 articles from WOS and Scopus, 26 were selected based on the PRISMA protocol for further analysis. A review of these 26 studies demonstrates a predominant use of mixed-methods and quantitative research approaches. The findings show the heightened vulnerability of construction workers to hazardous A&T consumption, its adverse health effects, and the urgent need for comprehensive interventions aimed at reducing or eliminating this risk.