Blood lead level association with lower body weight in NHANES 1999–2006

Lead exposure is associated with low birth-weight. The objective of this study is to determine whether lead exposure is associated with lower body weight in children, adolescents and adults. We analyzed data from NHANES 1999–2006 for participants aged ≥3 using multiple logistic and multivariate linear regression. Using age- and sex-standardized BMI Z-scores, overweight and obese children (ages 3–19) were classified by BMI ≥85th and ≥95th percentiles, respectively. The adult population (age ≥20) was classified as overweight and obese with BMI measures of 25–29.9 and ≥30, respectively. Blood lead level (BLL) was categorized by weighted quartiles. Multivariate linear regressions revealed a lower BMI Z-score in children and adolescents when the highest lead quartile was compared to the lowest lead quartile (β (SE)=−0.33 (0.07), p