Association Between Chronic Diarrhea and Relative Fat Mass: A Cross-Sectional Study Based on NHANES

Relative Fat Mass (RFM), a simple metric calculated from height and waist circumference, is used to estimate total body fat percentage and is often considered a more precise indicator of adiposity than Body Mass Index (BMI). While RFM is a promising metric for assessing obesity and its associated health risks, its association with diarrhea remains poorly understood. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the link between RFM and diarrhea prevalence by analyzing data from the 2005-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES).

Significant differences were observed between individuals with and without diarrhea regarding age, sex, educational attainment, poverty-income ratio (PIR), marital status, BMI, smoking status, diabetes, hypertension, physical activity, and RFM levels. Logistic regression analysis showed that each 1-unit increase in RFM was associated with a 7% higher risk of diarrhea (OR: 1.07, 95% CI: 1.03-1.11, P < 0.001). In quartile analysis, participants in the highest RFM quartile (Q4) had 2.39 times higher odds of diarrhea compared to the lowest quartile (Q1) (OR: 2.39, 95% CI: 1.24-4.61, P = 0.012). Subgroup analyses suggested that the association was more pronounced in populations with higher BMI and higher levels of physical activity. The ROC analysis yielded an AUC of 0.59 (95% CI: 0.57-0.61), indicating modest predictive value of RFM for diarrhea.

This study reveals that higher RFM is significantly associated with increased diarrhea prevalence, particularly among physically active individuals and those with elevated BMI. While RFM demonstrates modest predictive capability, these findings highlight its potential utility in identifying obesity-related gastrointestinal risks within diverse populations.