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.