Association Between Fluoride Exposure and BMI, WWI in Children and Adolescents: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Abstract

This research aimed to investigate the relationship of fluoride exposure to body mass index (BMI), weight-adjusted waist index (WWI) in children and adolescents. The study used the 2015-2016 Nutrition Examination Survey database and screened a total of 2004 participants aged 6 to 19 years. Multiple linear regression and logistic regression were used to analyze the relationship between blood fluoride, urine fluoride, and water fluoride and BMI, WWI, overweight/obesity, and WWI category. The fully adjusted model illustrated that urinary fluoride concentration was positively associated with BMI (B = 0.50, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.06-0.93). Blood fluoride concentration was positively associated with WWI (B = 0.15, 95% CI = 0.01-0.30). Urinary fluoride concentration was positively associated with overweight/obesity (odds ratio [OR] = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.01-1.45). Blood fluoride concentration was positively associated with WWI category (OR = 2.07, 95% CI = 1.19-3.58). This study found that BMI and WWI in children and adolescents were positively associated with fluoride exposure.

Supplementary Material: https://fluoridealert.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Hao-et-al.supplementary-material.may262025.docx

ABSTRACT ONLINE AT https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00099228251339210