Long-term impacts of ambient fine particulate matter exposure on overweight or obesity in Chinese adults: The China-PAR project

Although emerging researches have linked ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) to obesity, evidence from high-polluted regions is still lacking. We thus assessed the long-term impacts of PM2.5 on body mass index (BMI) and the risk of the prevalence of overweight/obesity (BMI >= 25 kg/m(2)), by incorporating the well-established Prediction for Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Risk in China (China-PAR) project comprising 77,609 participants with satellite-based PM2.5 estimates at 1-km spatial resolution. The average of long-term PM2.5 level was 70.4 mu g/m(3), with the range of 32.1-94.2 mu g/m(3). Each 10 mu g/m(3) increment of PM2.5 was associated with 0.421 kg/m(2) (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.402, 0.439) and 13.5% (95% CI: 12.8%, 14.3%) increased BMI and overweight/obesity risk, respectively. Moreover, compared with the lowest quartile of PM2.5 (<= 57.5 mu g/m(3)), the relative risk of the prevalence of overweight/obesity from the highest quartile (>85.9 mu g/m(3)) was 1.611 (95% CI: 1.566, 1.657). The exposure-response curve suggested a non-linear relationship between PM2.5 exposure and overweight/obesity. Besides, the association was modified by age, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and dyslipi-demia status. Our study provides the evidence for the adverse impacts of long-term PM2.5 on BMI and over-weight/obesity in China, and the findings are important for policy development on air quality, especially in severely polluted areas.

Automated summary

This study used data from the China-PAR project to assess the long-term impacts of PM2.5 on body mass index (BMI) and the risk of overweight/obesity in China. The results showed a significant association between increasing PM2.5 levels and higher BMI as well as an increased risk of overweight/obesity. The exposure-response curve indicated a non-linear relationship between PM2.5 exposure and overweight/obesity, with the association being modified by factors such as age, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and dyslipidemia.