Data Sheet 1_Ecological associations between ambient air pollution, gut microbiome composition, and metabolic markers in urban populations of central India.pdf

NO_x levels were positively correlated with glycemic indices, while particulate pollutants (PM_2.5 and PM₁₀) showed inconsistent and non-directional associations with metabolic markers. Gut microbiome analyses revealed broadly similar microbial community structures with subtle differences in diversity and composition across locations. Although variations were observed in selected microbial taxa, most genus-level differences did not remain statistically significant following multiple testing correction.</p>Conclusion<p>Air pollution and gut microbiome composition appear to have a descriptive role in metabolic health.

The findings describe ecological level co-variation between ambient air pollution indicators, metabolic parameters, and gut microbiome composition across the study populations. Because the study design was cross-sectional and exposure assessment relied on location level monitoring data, the results should be interpreted as descriptive and hypothesis-generating rather than causal. Further longitudinal studies incorporating individual level exposure assessment and functional microbiome analyses are required to better evaluate these relationships.</p>