In a recent study published in the journal PLOS ONE , researchers in the United States of America (US) investigated the relationship between alcohol use and obesity among US adolescents aged 12–17 years from rural and urban areas. They found that adolescents from rural areas had a higher risk of being obese at lower levels of alcohol consumption as compared to those from urban areas. Study: Assessing how alcohol use patterns relate to obesity among American adolescents from rural and urban areas: Five years of pooled data .
Image Credit: DONOT6_STUDIO / Shutterstock Obesity affects 17% of adolescents aged 12–19 years globally. Alcohol use, common among this age group, may potentially exacerbate obesity. About one in seven US adolescents has tried alcohol, with heavy drinkers more likely to be obese in young adulthood.
Although previous studies have explored alcohol and obesity, only a few have examined the differences between urban and rural populations of adolescents. Older studies indicate higher rates of alcohol use and obesity among rural adolescents. On the other hand, recent data suggest that rural adolescents may be at a greater risk of obesity even at lower levels of alcohol consumption.
Given these disparities, examining the intersection of alcohol use, locality, and obesity among adolescents is crucial. Therefore, in the present study, researchers examined the intersection of alcohol use, locality, and obesity among US adolescents using recent nationally represe.