Disparities in Levels of Depression Prevalence Based on Patterns of Alcohol Consumption : Using (2016, 2018, 2020) Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Purpose: This study investigated the association between patterns of alcohol consumption and levels of mental health, as well as the relationship between these patterns and depression. Methods: Data from three years ((2016, 2018, 2020) of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) were analyzed. After excluding missing values, 16,772 respondents were included in the study: 1,796 lifetime abstainer, 2,882 former drinker, 3,132 current infrequent drinker, 6,831 current light drinker, 945 current moderate drinker, 1,186 current heavy drinker. All data were analyzed with weighting, and hierarchical logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the association between alcohol consumption pattern and depression. Statistical analysis was performed using SAS version 9.4. Results: The most prevalent alcohol consumption pattern among Korean adults was identified as current light drinker. However, participants who have experienced depression were found to constitute the largest proportion within the current heavy drinker. Disparities in the association with depression were observed based on patterns of alcohol consumption, drinking frequency, drinking amount, and frequency of binge drinking. Among the patterns of alcohol consumption, it was found that current moderate drinker and current heavy drinker were respectively 1.845 times (95% CI 1.173-2.902) and 2.167 times (95% CI 1.421- 3.304) more likely to experience depression compared to lifetime abstainers. In case of the drinking frequency, it showed a U-shaped association with depression, while the drinking amount and frequency of binge drinking exhibited a linear association with depression. Conclusions: While moderate alcohol consumption may positively impact social relationships, the national losses from problematic drinking and alcohol misuse far outweigh any potential societal benefits. Given the significant likelihood that current light drinkers may transition into moderate or heavy drinkers, it is imperative to establish comprehensive abstinence policies that consider each drinking patterns.