The subjective level of stress, alcohol consumption and obesity in Koreans

Serious stress often leads to unhealthy behaviors that can have an influence on the being of obese. This study was analyzed the subjective stress, alcohol consumption habits such as alcohol consumption status, quantity, and alcohol use disorders identification test as well as the anthropometrics of 6,229 subjects from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The gender‐based differences of the effect of the subjective level of stress on alcohol consumption habits and anthropometric measurements, as well as the interaction of the subjective level of stress and alcohol consumption habits on prevalence or risk of obesity were analyzed. The subjects with high subjective level of stress showed higher proportions for unhealthy alcohol consumption habits than those with low subjective level of stress [ORs (95% CIs) = 1.354 (1.190–1.542), 1.953 (1.684–2.264), and 1.871 (1.600–2.188) for alcohol consumption status, alcohol consumption quantity, and alcohol use disorders identification test, respectively]. Men showed significant interactions between the subjective level of stress and all alcohol consumption habits with respect to obesity [ORs (95% CIs) = 1.279 (1.056–1.549), 1.812 (1.520–2.158), and 1.401 (1.172–1.675) for alcohol consumption status, alcohol consumption quantity, and alcohol use disorders identification test, respectively]. Among women, interactions between the subjective level of stress and alcohol consumption status [ORs (95% CIs) = 0.704 (0.599–0.826)] and alcohol consumption quantity [ORs (95% CIs) = 0.929 (0.537–7.36)] in relation to obesity were found to be significant. This study demonstrated that the subjective level of stress influenced alcohol consumption habits that may have impacted obesity. Support or Funding Information This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) and the Center for women In Science, Engineering and Technology (WISET) Grant funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning of Korea (MSIP) under the Program for Returners into R&D.