Associations between Urinary Mercury/Cadmium Concentrations and Anthropometric Features in Korean Children.

ABSTRACT: Investigating the impact of urinary mercury and cadmium on anthropometric parameters in Korean children is crucial amid growing concerns about heavy metal exposure and childhood growth. Using data from the Korean National Environmental Health Survey (2015-2017), we assessed age- and sex-specific associations of urinary mercury and cadmium with height and body mass index (BMI) z-scores in 1458 children aged 3-5 (n = 571) and 6-11 years (n = 887). Overall, 5.0% had stunted height (3-5 years: 6.9%, 6-11 years: 3.8%), whereas older children exhibited higher overweight/obesity prevalence (29.2%) than younger ones did (22.2%). In 3-5-year-old boys, urinary mercury correlated negatively with height z-scores (p < 0.001), whereas in girls, urinary cadmium correlated positively (p = 0.

SUBMITTER: Shin MW 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10974096 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature