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Table 3 Determinants of the neurological parameters

From: Neurobehavioral function and low-level exposure to brominated flame retardants in adolescents: a cross-sectional study

 

Continuous performance (N = 489)

Digit symbol (N = 340)

Digit span

Finger tapping

 

Reaction time (msec)A

Errors of omissionB

Errors of commissionB

Total latency (sec)A

ForwardA(N = 511)

BackwardA(N = 499)

Preferred handA(N = 511)

Non-preferred handA(N = 509)

Boys

 

0.43 (0.12)**

0.29 (0.06)**

4.12 (1.82)*

  

9.71 (3.59)**

5.53 (3.09)

Age, 1 year increase

−8.57 (2.79)**

−0.14 (0.08)

−0.15 (0.04)**

−5.21 (1.21)**

   

5.47 (2.2)*

BMI, IQR increase = 3.4 kg/m 2

  

0.06 (0.03)

2.22 (0.97)*

    

Education type – general

−15.09 (3.76)**

−0.54 (0.11)**

−0.17 (0.06)**

−9.73 (1.82)**

0.44 (0.09)**

0.53 (0.09)**

 

8.12 (3.05)**

Parents: no diploma C

        

9 grades C

      

−14.26 (5.7)*

 

12 grades C

    

−0.17 (0.1)

   

Alcohol use

  

0.11 (0.07)

  

0.19 (0.1)

  

Computer use D

−5.26 (2.37)*

       

Physical activity

−10.24 (4.57)*

     

14.72 (4.23)**

7.47 (3.61)*

Blood lead, 2-fold increase

   

3.58 (1.6)*

−0.14 (0.07)

   

Sum PCB’s, 2-fold increase

 

−0.14 (0.07)*

−0.06 (0.03)

 

0.14 (0.05)**

0.09 (0.05)

4.44 (2.07)*

4.74 (1.79)**

  1. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01.
  2. A Estimated effect (standard deviation) from a linear model.
  3. B Estimated effect (standard deviation) from a negative binomial model.
  4. C Reference category: college or university diploma.
  5. DThe effect of a one level increase of category.
  6. Stepwise regression estimates of the effects of covariates on the neurological parameters with p = 0.15 for entering and p = 0.10 for remaining in the model. All covariates included in one of the models are shown in the table. The set of considered covariates included: gender, age, BMI, type of education (general secondary education versus other), the highest level of education of parents (three indicator variables), whether or not the parents owned the house, smoking, passive smoking, alcohol use at least once a month, computer use, fish consumption, physical activity in leisure time at least once a week, the logarithm of blood lead and the logarithm of serum PCB’s 138, 153, and 180.
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Environmental Health

ISSN: 1476-069X