Consumo de bebidas alcoólicas e incidência de obesidade abdominal em participantes do ELSA - Brasil

Abstract

The association between alcohol consumption and obesity has great relevance for public health, considering the high prevalence of obesity at all stages of life, with great repercussions on the health system and on the development of chronic diseases. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the association between alcohol consumption and abdominal obesity in participants of the ELSA-Brasil cohort, after nine years of follow-up. This is a longitudinal, quantitative and analytical study, developed from baseline (2008 to 2010) and third wave (2017 to 2019) data from ELSA-Brasil. In the baseline, 15,105 adults, civil servants, of both sexes, aged between 35 and 74 years, active workers and voluntary retirees, from five Federal Higher Education Institutions and one research institution were enrolled. Of the 15,105 participants, those who underwent bariatric surgery, those with implausible alcohol and calorie consumption and the prevalent cases of abdominal obesity at baseline were excluded from the analysis of incidence. Participants with missing data for these same variables were also excluded. The final sample consisted of 3,591 participants. Anthropometric, sociodemographic, lifestyle variables and alcohol consumption were analyzed. For the diagnosis of obesity, the cutoff points of the abdominal perimeter recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) were used. Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to assess the normality of variables. Continuous variables were presented as means and standard deviations, and categorical variables as percentages and comparisons were performed using the t test and the chi-square test. Poisson models were tested, adjusted for age, race/color, difference in per capita income, calories consumed and physical activity. Of the total number of participants, more than 70% reported using some type of alcoholic beverage. In nine years, an increase in waist circumference (men: 4.96 ± 5.40 cm; women: 6.63 ± 6.36 cm, p < 0.001) and alcohol consumption (men: 0.65 ± 9 .4 g/day; women: 0.59 ± 5.29 g/day, p < 0.05). 1,588 (44.2%) new cases of abdominal obesity were identified (men: 36.4%, women: 54.2%). Higher consumption of alcoholic beverages increased the risk of abdominal obesity only in men (1.15, 95%CI 1.01 - 1.31, p < 0.001). It is important to adopt public policies to control the sale of alcoholic beverages, as well as the strengthening of obesity prevention policies and programs, as these two factors are of great relevance to public health.