ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutritional Epidemiology
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1577823
Association between the oxidative balance score and testosterone deficiency in males: A cross-sectional study
Provisionally accepted- Wenzhou Central Hospital, Wenzhou, China
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Background: Testosterone deficiency is a prevalent condition among males and warrants greater attention. The balance between oxidative and antioxidant capacity plays a critical role in testosterone deficiency.This study conducted a secondary analysis using data from three cycles of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2011)(2012)(2013)(2014)(2015)(2016). The oxidative balance score (OBS) and testosterone levels were derived from interview data and laboratory measurements. Weighted logistic regression was employed to explore the relationship between OBS and testosterone deficiency. Subgroup analyses, sensitivity analyses, and P-value for interaction were also performed.The analysis encompassed a cohort of 3,578 participants who met the eligibility criteria. The prevalence of testosterone deficiency among participants was 23.69%. OBS was inversely correlated with testosterone deficiency, with each unit increase in OBS associated with a 3% reduction in the risk of testosterone deficiency (OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.95 to 0.99). The highest OBS group exhibited a 38% lower risk of testosterone deficiency (OR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.40 to 0.96) Compared to the lowest OBS group. Furthermore, lifestyle OBS was also negatively correlated with testosterone deficiency. In, subgroup analyses, the inverse association between OBS and testosterone deficiency was most pronounced in subgroups characterized by educational background beyond high school, PIR >3, and absence of hypertension or diabetes.Higher OBS was inversely correlated with testosterone deficiency in males. This study underscores the importance of comprehensive antioxidant approaches, particularly lifestyle OBS, in male testosterone deficiency.
Keywords: Testosterone deficiency, Oxidative balance score, lifestyle, dietary, NHANES
Received: 16 Feb 2025; Accepted: 14 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Zhuge, Zheng, Ji, Wang and Zhang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Xuena Zhang, Wenzhou Central Hospital, Wenzhou, China
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