Association of urinary heavy metals co-exposure and adult depression: Modification of physical activity

• Published in: Neurotoxicology (Park Forest South) 2023-03, Vol.95, p.117-126
• Main Authors: Fu, Xihang, Li, Huiru, Song, Lingling, Cen, Manqiu, Wu, Jing
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Antimony; Cadmium - adverse effects; Cumulative exposure; Depression; Depression - epidemiology; Elastic net regression; Environment risk score; Heavy metals; Humans; Metals, Heavy - adverse effects; Nutrition Surveys; Tin; Weighted quantile sum regression
• ISSN: 0161-813X; 1872-9711
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neuro.2023.01.008

This study aimed to evaluate the association between urinary heavy metal mixture exposure and depression, and the modifying role of physical activity in the effects of heavy metal mixture on depression risk was also considered. Data of this study were derived from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2016. Depression was measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire. We first selected 6 (cadmium, cobalt, tin, antimony, thallium, and mercury) from 14 heavy metals through elastic net regression for further analysis. Then binomial logistic regression, generalized additive model, environment risk score (ERS), and weighted quantile sum (WQS) regression were adopted to assess the effects of six metals individual and cumulative exposure on depression risk. Finally, we also examined whether physical activity could mitigate the effects of heavy metal co-exposure on depression risk. Totally, 4212 participants were included and 7.40% of subjects were with depression. We found urinary tin and antimony were separately associated with increased odds of depression (Sb: OR = 1.285, 95% CI: 1.064–1.553; Sn: OR = 1.281, 95% CI: 1.097–1.495), and a linear dose-response relationship between tin and depression was also noticed (P