title: Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and childhood obesity: NHANES (2001-2006).
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are known carcinogens and suspected endocrine disruptors. Prenatal exposure to PAHs has been associated with obesity in early childhood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We examined the association of urinary PAH metabolites with adiposity outcomes [body mass index (BMI) z-score, waist circumference (WC), and rate of obesity] in children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  We performed whole-sample analyses of 3,189 individuals 6-19 years of age who participated in the 2001-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. We performed multivariate linear and logistic regression to analyze the association of BMI z-score, WC, and obesity with concentrations of single urinary PAH compounds and the sum of PAHs. Furthermore, the analyses were stratified by developmental stage [i.e., children (6-11 years) and adolescents (12-19 years)].
  
  
  RESULTS
  BMI z-score, WC, and obesity were positively associated with the molecular mass sum of the PAHs and the total sum of naphthalene metabolites. Most associations increased monotonically with increasing quartiles of exposure among children 6-11 years of age, whereas dose-response trends were less consistent for adolescents (12-19 years of age). Neither total PAHs nor total naphthalene metabolites were associated with overweight in either age group, and there was little evidence of associations between the outcomes and individual PAHs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Total urinary PAH metabolites and naphthalene metabolites were associated with higher BMI, WC, and obesity in children 6-11 years of age, with positive but less consistent associations among adolescents.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Scinicariello F, Buser MC. 2014. Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and childhood obesity: NHANES (2001-2006). Environ Health Perspect 122:299-303; http://dx.doi.org/10.1289/ehp.1307234.
authors.affiliation: Division of Toxicology and Human Health Sciences, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scinicariello
authors.forename: Melanie C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Buser
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D004784:Environmental Monitoring; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000633:toxicity* / Q000652:urine*; D012044:Regression Analysis; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons