The association of phthalate metabolites with childhood waist circumference and abdominal obesity.

ABSTRACT

The association between phthalates exposure and childhood abdominal obesity is still unclear. This study aimed to assess phthalates (PAEs) exposure level and explore the association between PAEs metabolites exposure and the risk of abdominal obesity in Chinese students aged 7-10 years. A total of 798 students aged 7-10 years were selected from the baseline survey of the cohort of Childhood Blood Pressure and Environmental Factors (CBPEF), which was established in Xiamen City, Fujian province, East China, from August to November in 2018. Urine samples were collected from these students to analyze the concentrations of seven PAEs metabolites using the method of high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem triple quadrupole mass spectrometry. Waist circumference was used to define abdominal obesity. The logistic regression model was used to analyze the association of urinary creatinine-adjusted PAEs metabolites with childhood abdominal obesity risk. The prevalence of childhood abdominal obesity is 12.0% (96/798). Apart from mono(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (62.5% for boys and 47.0% for girls), the detection rate of the others PAEs metabolites ranged from 82.6 to 100%. Boys had higher concentrations of PAEs metabolites than girls (P < 0.05), except for monoethyl phthalate. Compared with the Q1 group of PAEs metabolites, the risk of childhood abdominal obesity increased to 429% (OR = 5.29; 95% CI 2.09, 13.39) and 273% (OR = 3.73; 95% CI 1.57, 8.86) for the Q4 group of monoethyl phthalate and monoisobutyl phthalate, respectively. CONCLUSION: The detection rate of PAEs metabolites is common, and the exposure level of PAEs metabolites was associated with the risk of abdominal obesity in Chinese students aged 7-10 years. WHAT IS KNOWN • The prevalence of childhood abdominal obesity had increased sharply from 4.9% in 1993 to 17.5% in 2014 in China. More than 80% of the Chinese children and adolescents have measurable level of several PAEs metabolites in the urine. Previous studies with limited sample had explored the association between DEHP metabolites exposure and childhood abdominal obesity risk, however, the association were inconsistent. WHAT IS NEW • The detection rate of PAEs metabolites is common among Chinese children aged 7-10 years. Boys had higher concentrations of PAEs metabolites than girls (P < 0.05), except for monoethyl phthalate. Compared with the Q1 group of PAEs metabolites, the risk of childhood abdominal obesity increased to 429% and 273% for the Q4 group of monoethyl phthalate and monoisobutyl phthalate, respectively.