Impact of BMI and Central Adiposity on Fecal pH in Arizona State University Freshmen

Past studies have shown that, in comparison to lean participants, overweight and obese patients had higher fecal concentration of short chain fatty acids (SCFA). This larger concentration could come from a variety of factors, such as varied lower colonic fermentation between lean and obese participants, dietary intake, or microbiome diversity. Initially, SCFA were thought to be beneficial in that they reduced gut inflammation contradicting such associations between obesity and increased SCFA concentration. This study looked further into these varied SCFA levels by observing the fecal pH as a reflection of both body mass index (BMI) and central adiposity levels. Analysis of the changes in fecal pH, waist circumference, and BMI of the participants revealed no correlation between the variables. However, upon running a mixed model with covariates, it was determined that there were no significant associations between fecal pH, BMI, and waist circumference. Due to the fact that this study was only done over a year long period, it may take a longer time period or more significant changes in BMI and waist circumference to produce a significant correlation.