Urinary polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon excretion and regional body fat distribution: evidence from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2001–2016

Table 2 Partial Pearson^a correlation between creatinine-adjusted PAHs and body fat percentages among non-smokers aged 20 years and older

Pollutant	N	Total fat (%)	Trunk fat (%)	Leg fat (%)	Trunk/leg ratio	Total lean mass (%)	Bone mineral density (g/cm²)	BMI (kg/m²)	WC (cm)
Total naphthalene (ng/g)	2682	0.0001	0.02	−0.03	0.07	0.001	− 0.06	0.02	0.02
1-naphthalene (ng/g)	2663	−0.07^b	− 0.07^b	− 0.05	− 0.04	0.05	− 0.07^b	− 0.10^b	− 0.10^b
2-naphthalene (ng/g)	2673	0.04	0.07^b,c	− 0.01	0.11^b	− 0.03	− 0.04	0.09^b	0.09^b
Total fluorene (ng/g)	2676	− 0.01	−0.01	− 0.01	− 0.004	0.003	0.03	− 0.03	− 0.04
2-fluorene (ng/g)	2672	−0.01	− 0.02	0.01	− 0.04	− 0.003	−0.01	− 0.03	−0.04
3-fluorene (ng/g)	2665	−0.07^b	−0.08^b,c	− 0.04	−0.07^b	0.06^b	−0.03	− 0.09^b	−0.10^b
9-fluorene (ng/g)	1187	0.08	0.09^b,c	0.03	0.10^b	−0.05	0.08	0.08	0.08^b
Total phenanthrene (ng/g)	2682	0.01	0.01	0.0001	0.01	−0.02	0.02	−0.04	− 0.04
1-phenanthrene (ng/g)	2676	0.02	0.01	0.02	0.01	−0.02	−0.03	− 0.03	−0.02
2-phenanthrene (ng/g)	1663	0.05	0.05	0.03	0.06	−0.05	− 0.04	0.05	0.05
3-phenanthrene (ng/g)	1670	−0.04	−0.05	− 0.02	−0.04	0.04	−0.01	− 0.06	−0.05
4-phenanthrene (ng/g)	1132	0.09^b	0.11^b,c	0.03	0.16^b	−0.06	0.04	0.07	0.10^b
1-pyrene (ng/g)	2670	−0.06^b	−0.07^b,c	− 0.03	−0.04	0.07^b	−0.08^b	− 0.04	−0.03
Total PAHs	2691	0.03	0.02	0.02	−0.004	−0.03	− 0.03	0.01	− 0.004

Abbreviation: DXA dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry, PAH Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
^aAll correlating variables were log-transformed (e base). Pearson correlation coefficients were adjusted for gender, age (continuous), race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, or others), education (high school or below, any college, and college graduate or above), poverty ratio (< vs. ≥1), moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (yes, no), alcohol use (non-drinkers, 1–3 drinks/day, ≥4 drinks/day), total calorie intake (continuous), protein intake (continuous), serum cotinine levels (continuous), and serum C-reactive protein levels (tertiles). All PAHs accounted for urinary creatinine levels
^bSignificant correlations were adjusted using False Discovery Rate Benjamini-Hochberg Procedure
^cStatistical difference comparing correlations to leg fat

ISSN: 1476-069X