Association between Drinking and Obesity in Pre-and Postmenopausal Women: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010-2012

Background: Women are more vulnerable to the adverse effects of alcohol than men. The present study aimed to investigate the link between drinking and obesity in pre-and postmenopausal women in Korea. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional study of 4374 premenopausal and 2927 postmenopausal women using a multistage probability cluster survey sample to produce nationally representative estimates. We assessed the subjects' alcohol drinking tendencies rates according to their drinking levels as well as Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT); obesity was identified based on body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m², waist circumference (WC) ≥80 cm, and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) ≥50%. We performed t-tests and chi-square tests to assess the association between drinking and obesity. Results: In premenopausal subjects, obesity indices increased significantly as alcohol consumption rose. Significant correlations between drinking level and obesity factors were found in premenopausal women after adjusting for age (odds ratios [ORs] for BMI, WC, and WHtR were 1.58 [1.08-2.31], 1.94 [1.11-3.00], and 1.80 [1.24-2.61], respectively). Furthermore, an AUDIT score of 20 or higher indicated a significantly higher likelihood of obesity (ORs for BMI, WC, and WHtR were 2.02 [1.18-3.46], 2.75 [1.70-4.87], and 2.86 [1.78-4.59], respectively). There was a significant correlation between AUDIT scores and obesity factors after adjusting for age, energy intake, fat intake, exercise, smoking, education, and income in premenopausal women (ORs for BMI and WHtR were 1.71 [0.85-3.47] and 1.73 [0.97-3.06], respectively). Conclusion: Our results suggest that alcohol is associated with a risk factor for obesity in premenopausal women.