The association between alcohol intake and obesity in a sample of the Irish adult population

Obesity epidemic is one of the most serious public health challenges of the twenty-first century. Alcohol has been studied as a possible risk factor for obesity, but the evidence is mixed. A study examined the association between alcohol consumption and obesity in a sample of the Irish adult population.

An analytical cross-sectional study was conducted using secondary data from the 2017 Healthy Ireland Survey. The primary survey recruited patients using a two-stage probability-based technique and a face-to-face-administered questionnaire to collect data. Descriptive and comparative data were analysed to identify associations between alcohol-related variables with waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI). The associations between harmful alcohol consumption (AUDIT-C score ≥ 5) (exposure variable) and obesity indicators (WC and BMI) were examined. Adjustments were made for sociodemographic, health-related, and other alcohol-related variables.
6,864 participants aged 25 and older took part in this survey. 81.9% of the participants were alcohol drinkers, with the majority (76.3%) drinking less than three times per week; 47.7% were considered harmful drinkers (AUDIT-C score ≥ 5). After controlling for possible confounders, positive associations of harmful alcohol consumption with WC (β = 1.72, 95% CI: 0.25, 3.19) and BMI (OR = 1.47, 95% CI: 1.10, 1.96) were observed. Binge drinking was positively associated with WC (β = 1.71, 95% CI: 0.50, 2.91), while alcohol consumption frequency was significantly and inversely associated with BMI (OR = 0.59, 95% CI: 0.44, 0.78).
Harmful alcohol consumption was associated with obesity (high BMI, large WC) after controlling for possible confounders. Frequent binge drinkers were more likely to have a large WC, while frequent alcohol consumers were less likely to have obesity. Further longitudinal studies to examine the exact association between alcohol consumption and obesity are warranted.
Source: AlKalbani, S.R., Murrin, C. The association between alcohol intake and obesity in a sample of the Irish adult population, a cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health 23, 2075 (2023).