Background
This study aimed to determine the link between water consumption and abdominal obesity in individuals aged 19 years and above, utilizing a sample from the 8th Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
Methods
Participants were divided into two groups based on their water intake: those meeting adequate intake (≥5 cups for men and ≥4 cups for women) and those with inadequate intake (<5 cups for men and <4 cups for women). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs), adjusted for potential confounders.
Results
Compared with the inadequate water intake group, the adequate water intake group showed a lower adjusted OR for abdominal obesity (adjusted OR, 0.874; 95% CI, 0.770–0.992). In the subgroup analysis, the adjusted OR for abdominal obesity in the 19–39 age group was 0.712 (95% CI, 0.520–0.974). However, no significant association was observed in the 40–64 and 65 or higher age groups.
Conclusion
Our findings indicate that sufficient water consumption may be negatively associated with abdominal obesity in adults, particularly among young adults; however, this association may not extend to older age groups.