Relationship between abdominal obesity and alcohol drinking pattern in normal-weight, middle-aged adults: the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2008-2013

Objective: Abdominal obesity is associated with obesity-related health risks regardless of body weight. The present study aimed to determine whether alcohol drinking pattern is associated with abdominal obesity in normal-weight, middle-aged adults. Design: Cross-sectional study using complex sampling design analyses. Setting: The Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, which was conducted from 2008 to 2013. Subjects: Normal-weight participants aged 40-69 years with BMI of 18.5-25.0 kg/m(2) (n 11 289, 4491 men and 6798 women) were included. Abdominal obesity was defined as waist circumference >= 90 cm for men or >= 85 cm for women. Alcohol drinking pattern was assessed by self-report on questionnaires. Results: Among 11 289 normal-weight participants, 7.9 % (n 379) of men and 7.6 % (n 609) of women had abdominal obesity. Both men and women who consumed a higher quantity of alcohol per drinking occasion had higher odds (OR; 95 % CI) for abdominal obesity compared with individuals who consumed fewer than 2 drinks (1.86; 1.04, 3.32 for >= 10 drinks/typical occasion in men; and 3.28; 1.13, 9.46 in women). Men who binge drink every day had higher odds for abdominal obesity (2.10; 1.21, 3.63). In both sexes, frequency of alcohol drinking was not associated with normal-weight abdominal obesity. Conclusions: Our study showed that the amount of alcohol drinking per occasion influenced abdominal obesity in normal-weight, middle-aged individuals that may have impacted obesity-related health risks. Healthy alcohol drinking habits need to be controlled for prevention of abdominal obesity even among persons with normal weight.