Changes in BMI during adolescence may explain link between air pollution exposure and insulin resistance, study shows
Keck School of Medicine of USCPeer-Reviewed Publication
Changes in Body Mass Index (BMI) during adolescence play an important role in the association between air pollution exposure and insulin resistance, according to a new study led by USC investigators. The study, published in JAMA Network Open, found that children who were exposed to higher levels of traffic-related air pollution—specifically nitrogen oxides—tended to have a higher BMI by age 13, and experienced rapid weight gain from adolescence to young adulthood. This, in turn, was linked to higher levels of insulin resistance in their mid-20s. Researchers estimated that 42% of the relationship between early pollution exposure and insulin resistance can be explained by accelerated BMI growth trajectories—which describes how an individual’s BMI changes over time—and further contributes to insulin resistance, a key risk factor for type 2 diabetes. The study included data from Meta-Air2, an ongoing substudy of the Southern California’s Children’s Health Study (CHS) and featured 282 participants enrolled in kindergarten or first grade in 2003, who were actively followed up until 2014. The study’s researchers initiated a follow-up study in 2023 where participants, now young adults, provided blood samples for metabolic biomarker testing.
- Journal
- JAMA Network Open
- Funder
- NIH/National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, NIH/Environmental NIH/Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) consortium, NIH/NIEHS Southern California Environmental Sciences Center, Southern California Children’s Environmental Health Center, NIH/National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)