['This study aimed to investigate the association between serum adiponectin and chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.', 'We conducted a campus-based cross-sectional study in Northern Taiwan, an HBV-endemic country. A total of 506 participants, including 147 chronic HBV-infected individuals and 359 healthy controls, were assessed for anthropometric indices, serum adiponectin levels, serum HBV viral load and markers, serum alanine aminotransferase levels and metabolic factors.', 'Older age, male gender, higher alanine aminotransferase, higher body mass index, greater waist circumference, lower fasting glucose, higher triglycerides, and higher adiponectin were associated with chronic HBV infection in univariate analyses. In multivariate analysis, the presence of chronic HBV infection was positively associated with serum adiponectin levels (P < 0.0001) and high adiponectin levels over the 75th percentile (odds ratio, 4.25; 95% confidence interval, 2.36-7.66; P < 0.0001) after adjusting for age, gender, body mass index, and insulin resistance index. Furthermore, serum adiponectin levels were positively associated with HBV viral load in overweight to obese HBV-infected subjects (P = 0.018).'] Are serum adiponectin levels associated with hepatitis B viral load in overweight to obese hepatitis B virus carriers?