Bisphenol A and Chronic Disease Risk Factors in US Children

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the relationship between urinary bisphenol A (BPA) levels and measures of adiposity and chronic disease risk factors for a nationally representative US pediatric sample.

METHODS: We used the NHANES 2003–2010 to evaluate cross-sectional associations between urinary BPA and multiple measures of adiposity, cholesterol, insulin, and glucose for children aged 6 to 18 years, adjusting for relevant covariates (eg, demographics, urine creatinine, tobacco exposure, and soda consumption).

RESULTS: We found a higher odds of obesity (BMI ≥95th percentile) with increasing quartiles of BPA for quartiles 2 vs 1 (odds ratio [OR] 1.74, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17–2.60, P = .008), 3 vs 1 (OR 1.64, 95% CI 1.09–2.47, P = .02), and 4 vs 1 (OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.36–2.98, P = .001). We also found a higher odds of having an abnormal waist circumference–to–height ratio (quartiles 2 vs 1 [OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.98–1.93, P = .07], 3 vs 1 [OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.07–1.87, P = .02], and 4 vs 1 [OR 1.55, 95% CI 1.12–2.15, P = .01]). We did not find significant associations of BPA with any other chronic disease risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of urinary BPA were associated with a higher odds of obesity (BMI >95%) and abnormal waist circumference–to–height ratio. Longitudinal analyses are needed to elucidate temporal relationships between BPA exposure and the development of obesity and chronic disease risk factors in children.