ObjectiveAssociation of oxidative DNA damage with gain in anthropometric indices has not been fully elucidated. MethodsIn this study, participants (n = 1151) were derived from the baseline visit of Wuhan residents in the Wuhan-Zhuhai Cohort Study. The participants finished the physical examinations at both baseline and 3-year follow up. Urinary levels of 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) were measured by gradient-elution high performance liquid chromatography method and then calibrated by urinary creatinine (Cr) values. ResultsGeneralized linear models showed that after adjusted for confounding factors, baseline central obesity individuals with a ≥2.5% hip circumference (HC) loss or >5% HC gain had a 0.290 μmol/mol Cr (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.108, 0.472) or 0.553 μmol/mol Cr (95% CI: 0.273, 0.833) increase in urinary 8-OHdG levels compared with those with a −2.5%–2.5% HC gain (both P < 0.05). Moreover, compared with non-central obesity at both baseline and 3-year follow-up, we observed that central obese men at both baseline and 3-year follow-up had a 0.46 μmol/mol Cr (95% CI: 0.16, 0.75) increased in urinary 8-OHdG levels. ConclusionsHC gain showed dose-dependent associations with urinary 8-OHdG levels. Moreover, male central obesity at both baseline and 3-year follow-up had an increased risk for urinary 8-OHdG levels.