Estimated Dietary Exposure to Bisphenol A and Maternal and Childhood Obesity in Samoa

Obesity is a major global health issue, and the prevalence of obesity in Samoa is among the highest in the world. Exposure to obesogenic chemicals may be contributing to the increasing obesity prevalences worldwide and in Samoa. Bisphenol-A (BPA) is an endocrine-disrupting chemical classified as an obesogen and widely utilized in a variety of consumer products, including plastic food packaging and reusable food containers. There are several routes of exposure, including dermal contact and inhalation, but the dominant route is thought to be ingestion. Dietary exposure assessment methods typically combine food and beverage intake patterns with measured concentrations of BPA in items. In this project, our objective was to apply a new BPA dietary exposure assessment specific to a Samoan population that leverages use of weighted scores based on literature-derived exposure intensities in a Hong Kong study of BPA as a risk factor for prostate cancer. In support of this overarching objective, our first aim was to conduct a literature review on the characteristics of BPA as well as concentrations in various foods and food packaging materials. The second objective was to utilize an exposure assessment model that quantifies dietary intake of BPA in our sample population of women and children in Samoa by combining data from the literature with a dietary questionnaire. Third, we applied the model and described the estimated BPA exposure patterns in the study population. This model advances the methodology for assessing dietary BPA exposure and can be applied to this population to examine associations between dietary BPA exposure and obesity in the future as well as inform public health programs and policy.