Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and bone mineral content in early adolescence: Modification by diet and physical activity
By Jessie P Buckley, Junyi Zhou, Katherine M Marquess, Bruce P Lanphear, Kim M Cecil, Aimin Chen, Clara G Sears, Yingying Xu, Kimberly Yolton, Heidi J Kalkwarf, Joseph M Braun, and Jordan R Kuiper
Environ Res
April 3, 2024
DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2024.118872
Background
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) exposures may negatively impact bone mineral accrual, but little is known about potential mitigators of this relation. We assessed whether associations of PFAS and their mixture with bone mineral content (BMC) in adolescence were modified by diet and physical activity.
Methods
We included 197 adolescents enrolled in a prospective pregnancy and birth cohort in Cincinnati, Ohio (2003-2006). At age 12 years, we collected serum for PFAS measurements and used dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry to measure BMC. We calculated dietary calcium intake and Health Eating Index (HEI) scores from repeated 24-hour dietary recalls, physical activity scores using the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C), and average moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) based on accelerometry. We estimated covariate-adjusted differences in BMC z-scores per interquartile range (IQR) increase of individual PFAS concentrations using linear regression and per simultaneous IQR increase in all four PFAS using g-computation. We evaluated effect measure modification (EMM) using interaction terms between each modifier and PFAS.
Results
Higher serum perfluorooctanoic acid, perfluorooctanesulfonic acid, and perfluorononanoic acid concentrations and the PFAS mixture were associated with lower BMC z-scores. An IQR increase in all PFAS was associated with a 0.27 (-0.54, 0.01) lower distal radius BMC z-score. Associations with lower BMC were generally stronger among adolescents classified as < median for calcium intake, HEI scores, or MVPA compared to those ≥ median. The difference in distal radius BMC z-score per IQR increase in all PFAS was -0.38 (-0.72, -0.04) for those with
Conclusion
Healthy, calcium-rich diets and higher intensity physical activity may mitigate the adverse impact of PFAS on adolescent bone health.
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