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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Bisphenol A substitutes and childhood obesity at 7 years: a cross-sectional study in Shandong, China
Minyan Chen1, Cheng Lv1, Shanyu Zhang1
1Department of Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, 280 South Chongqing Road, Shanghai, 200025, China.
Insights
Bisphenol S (BPS) and bisphenol AF (BPAF) exposure is linked to childhood obesity, particularly in boys. These common BPA substitutes show significant associations with increased BMI and overweight risk in children.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Health
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Toxicology
Background:
- Bisphenol A (BPA) substitutes like BPS and BPAF are increasingly used as alternatives to BPA, a known endocrine disruptor.
- Limited data exists on the obesogenic effects of BPA substitutes in pediatric populations.
- Growing concerns surround the potential health impacts of widespread chemical exposures in children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between urinary bisphenol A (BPA) and its substitutes (BPS, BPAF, BPB, BPAP, BPZ, BPP) and obesity measures in children.
- To evaluate the obesogenic effects of BPA substitute mixtures using weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression.
- To explore potential sex differences in the associations between bisphenol exposure and childhood obesity.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 426 children aged 7 years from China provided urine samples for bisphenol analysis.
- Anthropometric measurements (height, weight, waist circumference, body fat percentage) were collected to assess obesity status (BMI z-score ≥ 85th percentile).
- Linear, logistic, and WQS regression models were employed, with sex-stratified analyses performed.
Main Results:
- BPA substitutes, particularly BPS and BPAF, were widely detected in children's urine (>75%).
- Urinary BPS and BPAF showed consistent positive associations with BMI z-score, waist circumference, and overweight/obesity.
- WQS regression indicated a positive association between bisphenol mixtures and obesity measures, with BPAF being a major contributor. Associations were significant in boys.
Conclusions:
- BPA substitutes BPS and BPAF are associated with increased obesity risk in children, especially boys.
- The findings highlight the potential obesogenic role of BPA substitutes and the need for further research.
- Longitudinal studies with larger sample sizes are recommended to confirm these associations and monitor health effects.
Abstract:
Bisphenol A (BPA) substitutes, such as bisphenol S (BPS) and bisphenol AF (BPAF), are increasingly used due to restrictions on BPA usage, a known endocrine disrupting chemical and putative obesogen. However, little is known about the obesogenic effects of exposure to BPA substitutes in children. A total of 426 children aged 7 years old originally recruited from Laizhou Wan Birth Cohort in Shandong, China, during 2010-2013 participated in the 2019-2020 survey. Urinary BPA and its substitutes including BPS, BPAF, bisphenol B (BPB), bisphenol AP (BPAP), bisphenol Z (BPZ), and bisphenol P (BPP) were determined. Anthropometric measures including height, weight, waist circumference, and body fat percentage were assessed, and overweight/obesity was defined as BMI z-score ≥ 85th percentile. Linear and logistic regressions were used on continuous and binary obesity measures, respectively, and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression was further used to estimate the mixture effects of exposure to diverse bisphenols, and sex-stratified analysis was performed. BPA substitutes were widely detected (> 75%) in children's urine samples. A positive association with obesity measures was consistently observed for urinary BPS and BPAF, i.e., BMI z-score, waist circumference, and overweight/obesity. Further analysis from the WQS regression model demonstrated a positive association between bisphenol mixtures and all measures of obesity, with BPAF contributing the greatest weighing to the observed associations. Sex difference might exist as the positive associations were only significant in boys. No significant association was found between obesity and BPA or other BPA substitutes. Our study adds to mounting evidence that BPA substitutes BPS and BPAF are linked to obesity in children, especially in boys. Further longitudinal studies with larger sample size with continued biomonitoring these chemicals and their obesogenic effects are necessary.
