Association between long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and obesity in a Chinese rural population: The Henan Rural Cohort Study

Xiaotian Liu; Runqi Tu; Dou Qiao; Miaomiao Niu; Ruiying Li; Zhenxing Mao; Wenqian Huo; Gongbo Chen; Hao Xiang; Yuming Guo; Shanshan Li; Chongjian Wang

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114077

Association between long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and obesity in a Chinese rural population: The Henan Rural Cohort Study

Environ Pollut. 2020 May:260:114077. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114077. Epub 2020 Jan 27.

Authors

Xiaotian Liu¹, Runqi Tu¹, Dou Qiao¹, Miaomiao Niu¹, Ruiying Li¹, Zhenxing Mao¹, Wenqian Huo¹, Gongbo Chen², Hao Xiang², Yuming Guo³, Shanshan Li⁴, Chongjian Wang⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, PR China.
² Department of Global Health, School of Health Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, PR China.
³ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, PR China; Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
⁴ Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.
⁵ Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Public Health, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, PR China. Electronic address: tjwcj2005@126.com.

PMID: 32041030
DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2020.114077

Abstract

Association between long-term exposure to ambient air pollution and obesity remains inconclusive, and the evidence from rural areas was limited. Thus, this study aimed to assess the association between ambient air pollution and obesity based on different anthropometric indices in Chinese rural adults, and further to compare the effect sizes of different air pollution types. A total of 38,824 participants (aged 18-79 years) were recruited from the Henan Rural Cohort Study. Logistic and multivariable linear regression model were used to examine the association between ambient air pollution exposure (including particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters ≤ 1.0 μm (PM₁), ≤2.5 μm (PM_2.5), and ≤10 μm (PM₁₀), and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)) and obesity as well as obese anthropometric indices (including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), body fat percentage (BFP), and visceral fat index (VFI)). The potential effect modifications were also examined. Positive associations were found between long-term exposure to PM₁, PM_2.5, PM₁₀ and NO₂ and obesity regardless of how obesity was defined (false discovery rate (FDR) < 0.05). Moreover, BMI, WC, WHR, WHtR, BFP, and VFI displayed increased trends with PM₁, PM_2.5, PM₁₀ and NO₂ concentrations increasing (all FDR<0.05). PM₁₀ had the largest effects on obesity among the four types of air pollution. The elderly, women, individuals with low level of education and income, and those who had high fat diet were more vulnerable to the adverse effects of air pollution. In addition, the results of the sensitivity analysis showed that those associations between ambient air pollution and obesity remained robust. These findings suggest that long-term exposure to ambient air pollutant (particularly PM₁₀) may be positively associated with obesity in Chinese rural adults, especially among the elderly, women, individuals with low education and income, as well as unhealthy lifestyles.

Keywords: Air pollution; Anthropometric indices; Long-term; Obesity; Rural population.

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Aged
Air Pollutants
Air Pollution / statistics & numerical data*
China / epidemiology
Cohort Studies
Environmental Exposure / statistics & numerical data*
Female
Humans
Middle Aged
Nitrogen Dioxide
Obesity / epidemiology*
Particulate Matter
Rural Population
Young Adult

Substances

Air Pollutants
Particulate Matter
Nitrogen Dioxide