TY - JOUR
T1 - Exposure to ultrafine particles and childhood obesity
T2 - A cross-sectional analysis of the Seven Northeast Cities (SNEC) Study in China
AU - Wu, Qi Zhen
AU - Xu, Shu Li
AU - Tan, Ya Wen
AU - Qian, Zhengmin
AU - Vaughn, Michael G.
AU - McMillin, Stephen Edward
AU - Dong, Pengxin
AU - Qin, Shuang Jian
AU - Liang, Li Xia
AU - Lin, Li Zi
AU - Liu, Ru Qing
AU - Yang, Bo Yi
AU - Chen, Gongbo
AU - Zhang, Wangjian
AU - Hu, Li Wen
AU - Zeng, Xiao Wen
AU - Dong, Guang Hui
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2022/11/10
Y1 - 2022/11/10
N2 - Background: Studies on the obesogenic effect of air pollution on children have been mixed and sparse. Moreover, due to insufficient air monitoring, few studies have investigated the role of more tiny but unregulated particles (ambient particles with a diameter of 0.1 μm or less, ultrafine particles). Objective: We sought to explore the associations between long-term exposure to ambient ultrafine particles (UFPs) and childhood obesity in Chinese children. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we randomly recruited 47,990 children, aged 6–18 years, from seven cities in Northeastern China between 2012 and 2013. Child age- and sex-specific z-scores for body mass index (BMI Z-score) and weight status were generated using the World Health Organization growth reference. Four-year average concentrations of UFPs and airborne particulates of diameter ≤ 1 μm (PM1), ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5), and ≤10 μm (PM10) were estimated at home, using neural network simulated WRF-Chem model and spatiotemporal model, respectively. Confounder-adjusted generalized linear mixed models examined the associations between air pollution and BMI Z-score and the prevalence of childhood obesity. Result: We found that UFPs exposure was associated with greater childhood BMI Z-score and a higher likelihood of obesity. Compared with the lowest quartile, higher quartiles of UFPs were associated with greater odds for obesity prevalence in children (i.e., the adjusted OR was 1.25; 95 % CI, 1.12–1.39; 1.43; 95 % CI, 1.27–1.61; and 1.41; 95 % CI, 1.25–1.58 for the second, third, and fourth quartile, respectively). Similar associations were observed for PM1, PM2.5, and PM10, and were greater in boys and children living close to roadways. Conclusions: Long-term UFPs exposure was associated with a greater likelihood of childhood obesity, and stronger associations on BMI Z-score were observed in boys and children living close to roadways. This study indicates that more attention should be paid to the health effects of UFPs, and routinely monitoring of UFPs should be considered.
AB - Background: Studies on the obesogenic effect of air pollution on children have been mixed and sparse. Moreover, due to insufficient air monitoring, few studies have investigated the role of more tiny but unregulated particles (ambient particles with a diameter of 0.1 μm or less, ultrafine particles). Objective: We sought to explore the associations between long-term exposure to ambient ultrafine particles (UFPs) and childhood obesity in Chinese children. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we randomly recruited 47,990 children, aged 6–18 years, from seven cities in Northeastern China between 2012 and 2013. Child age- and sex-specific z-scores for body mass index (BMI Z-score) and weight status were generated using the World Health Organization growth reference. Four-year average concentrations of UFPs and airborne particulates of diameter ≤ 1 μm (PM1), ≤2.5 μm (PM2.5), and ≤10 μm (PM10) were estimated at home, using neural network simulated WRF-Chem model and spatiotemporal model, respectively. Confounder-adjusted generalized linear mixed models examined the associations between air pollution and BMI Z-score and the prevalence of childhood obesity. Result: We found that UFPs exposure was associated with greater childhood BMI Z-score and a higher likelihood of obesity. Compared with the lowest quartile, higher quartiles of UFPs were associated with greater odds for obesity prevalence in children (i.e., the adjusted OR was 1.25; 95 % CI, 1.12–1.39; 1.43; 95 % CI, 1.27–1.61; and 1.41; 95 % CI, 1.25–1.58 for the second, third, and fourth quartile, respectively). Similar associations were observed for PM1, PM2.5, and PM10, and were greater in boys and children living close to roadways. Conclusions: Long-term UFPs exposure was associated with a greater likelihood of childhood obesity, and stronger associations on BMI Z-score were observed in boys and children living close to roadways. This study indicates that more attention should be paid to the health effects of UFPs, and routinely monitoring of UFPs should be considered.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157524
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157524
M3 - Article
C2 - 35872203
AN - SCOPUS:85134820430
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 846
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
M1 - 157524
ER -