Association between sitting time and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in South Korean population: a cross-sectional study: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background: To examine the association between sitting time and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease among South Koreans aged ≥20 years. Methods : Data from the 2016–2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were used for the analysis. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was diagnosed according to a hepatic steatosis index of >36. Sitting time was categorized into as 10 hours. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between sitting time and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in South Korean population. Results : A total of 13,518 participants were enrolled. The odds for having NAFLD in 5 – 7, 8 – 10, and > 10 sitting hours were 1.04 (CI: 0.85-1.28), 1.23(CI: 1.01-1.51), and 1.33(CI: 1.10-1.62), respectively. The odds ratio increased in magnitude with longer hours of sitting time (test for trend: P-value = 0.0009). Conclusion : Advising physical exercises and discouraging sedentary activities may help to alleviate NAFLD among the South Korean population.