Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42530649›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of nutrition2026

Sex-specific associations of urinary zinc, iron, and zinc-to-iron ratio with obesity indicators and phenotypes.

Jianqin Zhong, Linyuan Zhang, Xueyi Wu, Zixuan Xu, Shuyan Cheng, Tonghai Long, Tingting Yang, Feng Hong

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Article in European journal of nutrition, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Jianqin Zhong *School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China.
Linyuan Zhang *School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China.
Xueyi Wu *School of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China.
Zixuan XuSchool of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China.
Shuyan ChengSchool of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China.
Tonghai LongSchool of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China.
Tingting YangSchool of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China. ttyang_gmu@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-8864-828X
Feng HongSchool of Public Health, Key Laboratory of Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Disease Control, Ministry of Education, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang, 561113, China. fhong@gmc.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6329-5331

Funding

the Guizhou Provincial Health Commission Science and Technology Fund 2024GZWJKJXM0209the National Key R&D Program of China 2017YFC0907300the National Key R&D Program of China NO.2017YFC0907301the National Natural Science Foundation of China 82360663the National Natural Science Foundation of China No. 82173566
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTrace elements such as zinc (Zn) and iron (Fe) may influence obesity risk; however, the role of their balance, reflected by the urinary zinc-to-iron ratio (ZIR), remains unclear.

methodsWe analyzed baseline data from 14,761 adults aged 30-79 years in the China Multi-Ethnic Cohort. Urinary zinc and iron concentrations were normalized using urinary specific gravity to account for variations in urine dilution.

resultsUrinary Zn and the ZIR were positively associated with waist circumference and general obesity. Urinary Fe was linked to increased hip circumference (β = 0.196, 95% CI 0.077-0.316) but a lower risk of overweight (OR = 0.947, 95% CI 0.907-0.988). These associations were stronger among individuals with higher obesity indicators. Stratified analyses showed sex-specific patterns: in males, ZIR was associated with overweight and abdominal obesity, while in females, urinary Zn and ZIR were significantly related to general obesity risk. Urinary Fe showed inverse associations with overweight and abdominal obesity in males (OR = 0.87 and 0.89, respectively), but was positively associated with abdominal obesity in females (OR = 1.07, 95% CI 1.01-1.13).

conclusionUrinary Zn, Fe, and ZIR are associated with obesity indicators and phenotypes, with notable sex differences. ZIR may serve as a non-invasive biomarker of obesity risk. These findings suggest the potential for sex-specific nutritional strategies in obesity prevention and management.

Indexed as

IronObesityZincAdultAgedBody Mass IndexChinaCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedObesity, AbdominalOverweightPhenotypeSex FactorsIronTrace ElementsZincObesity indicatorsObesity phenotypesUrinary ironUrinary zincZinc-to-iron ratio

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PMID42530649

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