Figure 1 depicts lifetime and past-year prevalence rates of alcohol use disorders for each gender in the three BMI categories before controlling for covariates. Table 2 shows odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) resulting from the logistic regression analyses, controlling for covariates, with alcohol use disorders as the dependent variables. Relative to normal weight men, overweight and obese men had significantly higher rates of alcohol abuse and dependence. BMI was not associated with lifetime alcohol abuse or dependence in women. Overweight and obese women had significantly decreased odds of past-year alcohol abuse compared to normal weight women, and BMI was not associated with likelihood of past-year alcohol abuse or dependence in men. Analyses of interactions indicated significant gender by BMI interaction effects on the likelihood of lifetime and past-year alcohol abuse, and lifetime alcohol dependence. When lifetime and past year drug use disorders and nicotine dependence covariates were removed, the positive association between BMI and lifetime alcohol dependence was no longer significant in men, F(2)=2.58, p=.08, and the negative association between obesity and past-year alcohol dependence became significant in women, F(2)=3.22, p<.05, OR=0.68, CI=0.50–0.96. All other findings were unchanged.
