TY  - JOUR
AU  - Zhou, Xuelian
AU  - Zhang, Xiaochi
AU  - Bai, Guannan
AU  - Dong, Guanping
AU  - Li, Xinyi
AU  - Chen, Ruimin
AU  - Chen, Shaoke
AU  - Zheng, Rongxiu
AU  - Wang, Chunlin
AU  - Wei, Haiyan
AU  - Cao, Bingyan
AU  - Liang, Yan
AU  - Yao, Hui
AU  - Su, Zhe
AU  - Maimaiti, Mireguli
AU  - Luo, Feihong
AU  - Li, Pin
AU  - Zhu, Min
AU  - Du, Hongwei
AU  - Yang, Yu
AU  - Cui, Lanwei
AU  - Wang, Jinling
AU  - Yuan, Jinna
AU  - Liu, Zhuang
AU  - Wu, Wei
AU  - Zhao, Qi
AU  - Fu, Junfen
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/2/7
TI  - Long-Term Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter (PM2.5) Components and Precocious Puberty Among School-Aged Children: Cross-Sectional Study
JO  - JMIR Public Health Surveill
SP  - e62861
VL  - 11
KW  - fine particulate matter
KW  - PM2.5
KW  - PM2.5 components
KW  - air pollution
KW  - precocious puberty
KW  - children
KW  - long-term exposure
AB  - Background: The increasing incidence of precocious puberty is a major health challenge for Chinese children, while related risk factors remain less well explored. Exposure to ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is a leading environmental hazard in China. Although certain components of PM2.5 have been reported to be endocrine disruptors for sex hormones, population-based evidence is still lacking on the association between PM2.5 exposure and precocious puberty in China. Objective: Based on a cross-sectional survey covering 30 cities in 2017 to 2019, this study was designed to explore the association between long-term exposure to PM2.5 and its 5 major components with precocious puberty in China and to check the potential modifying effects of family-related and personal factors. Methods: We included 34,105 children aged 6 to 9 years. We collected the 5-year average concentrations of PM2.5 and its 5 major components (sulfate, nitrate, ammonium, organic matter, and black carbon) in the area (at a spatial resolution of 0.1° × 0.1°) where each school was located. We used mixed effect logistic regression to estimate the effect sizes of the total mass of PM2.5 and each of its components on precocious puberty, and we examined the modifying effects of family-related and personal factors using an additional interactive term. A weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression model was applied to identify the weights of each component in explaining the effect size of the total mass of PM2.5. Results: We found that the odds ratio (OR) for precocious puberty per IQR increase in the concentration of total PM2.5 mass was 1.27 (95% CI 0.92-1.75) for the whole population, 2.12 (95% CI 1.27-3.55) for girls, and 0.90 (95% CI 0.62-1.30) for boys. Similarly, the effect sizes of the 5 major components were all substantial for girls but minimal for boys. Results of the WQS analysis showed that organic matter could explain the highest proportion of the effect of PM2.5, with the weight of its contribution being 0.71. Modification effects of family income and dietary habits were only observed in certain population subgroups. Conclusions: Long-term exposure to total PM2.5 mass was significantly associated with precocious puberty in girls, with organic matter identified as the major effect contributor. The results add evidence on the detrimental effects of PM2.5 on children’s development and growth. 
SN  - 2369-2960
UR  - https://publichealth.jmir.org/2025/1/e62861
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2196/62861
DO  - 10.2196/62861
ID  - info:doi/10.2196/62861
ER  -