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Multiple environmental exposures and obesity in eastern China: An individual exposure evaluation model
Guoao Li1, Jianjun Liu1, Huanhuan Lu1
1Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, 81 Meishan Road, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Chemosphere
|March 18, 2022
Summary
Exposure to air pollution and lack of green space are linked to obesity in rural China. Improving air quality and increasing green spaces can help reduce obesity rates, particularly among males, higher-income households, and young people.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Epidemiology
- Public Health
Background:
- Obesity presents a significant global health burden.
- Limited research exists on individual environmental exposure levels and the cumulative impact of multiple environmental factors on obesity.
- Understanding these associations is crucial for developing targeted public health interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate individual air pollution exposure.
- To investigate the association between multiple environmental factors and obesity in rural Chinese adults.
- To identify specific environmental contributors to obesity in the studied population.
Main Methods:
- A multistage stratified cluster sampling of 8377 adult residents in rural eastern China.
- Development of an individual air pollution evaluation model using generalized linear and random forest models.
- Application of Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR) and Quantile g-Computation (QgC) to assess multiple environmental exposures and obesity (BMI > 28 kg/m²).
Main Results:
- Six air pollutants showed a significant positive association with obesity.
- Green space demonstrated a significant protective effect against obesity.
- BKMR indicated synergistic effects of air pollutants, with green space mitigating these effects.
- QgC revealed a significant positive association between combined environmental factor exposure and obesity, especially in males, higher-income individuals, and younger adults.
Conclusions:
- Regional air quality improvement and increased green space availability are recommended to mitigate obesity.
- Environmental interventions targeting air pollution and promoting green spaces may reduce the disease burden associated with obesity.
- Specific demographic groups (males, higher income, young people) may be more vulnerable to the effects of environmental exposures on obesity.
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