Hair as an Indicator of Prolonged Paraben Exposure and Its Relation to Weight Gain in a Sample of Spanish Children: A Proof-of-Concept Study.

BACKGROUND

Childhood obesity has become a major public health concern worldwide, and increasing attention is being paid to the potential role of endocrine-disrupting chemicals such as parabens. Understanding environmental contributors is essential for early prevention strategies.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the present research was to determine the presence of parabens in hair samples and to examine its association with excess weight and obesity in a sample of Spanish schoolchildren.

METHODS

A total of 104 cases and 166 controls (3-12 year olds) were recruited. Sociodemographic and lifestyle data and hair and urine samples were gathered. UHPLC-MS/MS coupled to a triple quadrupole detector was used for the quantitative determination of six parabens (methylparaben [MetPB], ethylparaben [EthPB], butylparaben [ButPB], propylparaben [PropPB], and isopropylparaben [i-PropPB]). The relationship between the concentration of parabens in hair and urine was examined according to Spearman correlation coefficients. Finally, binary logistic regression models were constructed to evaluate the relationship of parabens with excess weight/obesity.

RESULTS

Detected paraben levels were higher in cases. A weak correlation was produced between hair and urine concentrations, with the exception of i-PropP (hair)/PropPB (urine) and i-PropP (hair)/i-PropPB (urine) in boys, and i-PropPB (hair)/PropPB (urine) in girls. A high level of PropPB was associated with a 4.67 times greater risk of excess weight/obesity only in the boys.

CONCLUSIONS

In males, a high concentration of PropPB in hair is associated with excess weight and obesity.