Date of Conferral

4-25-2025

Date of Award

April 2025

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Tammy Root

Abstract

Approximately one third (37%) of children in the United States are impaired with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) resulting in intellectual disability, and about 1 in 6 children in the United States has one or more developmental disabilities. The economic burden of ASD is estimated to be over $40 billion lost per year. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship of polybrominated diphenyl ether derivatives (PBDEs) with ASD, age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). The conceptual framework of the study was based on the physiologically based pharmacokinetic theory that the body burden of PBDEs’ free radicals may alter the human endocrine system pathways in the occurrence ASD, bioaccumulation, age, BMI, gender and type 2 diabetes. Secondary data was obtained from the UC Davis MIND Institute. The sample size includes children’s N=73, with autism (n = 50) and with no autism (n = 23). Plasma blood concentration was taken from patients. The inclusion criteria include autism/no autism, age 2-5 years, children lived with biological parents, those address near the study site, birthplace in California, language speak English, and Spanish. Binary logistic regression showed BDE 100 (B = .164, p = .021) and BDE 153 (B = -.146, p = .002) were significant predictors of BMI.. Five BDEs result were significant with ASD. The correlation test showed gender was significantly correlated with BDE 28 (Kendall’s tau = .235, p = .015), BDE 47 (Kendall’s tau = .196, p = .043), BDE 66 (Kendall’s tau = .223, p = .022), and BDE 85 (Kendall’s tau = .194, p = .047). The social implication includes developing awareness about the risk of PBDEs toxicity in the occurrence of ASD, Type2, diabetes, obesity, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, thyroid cancer, brain cancer, prostate cancer and birth defects.

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