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

Table 3 Partial Pearson^a correlation between creatinine-adjusted PAHs and body fat percentages among non-smokers with non-Hispanic White ethnicity 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)	957	−0.01	0.002	− 0.05	0.07	0.01	−0.05	0.01	0.01
1-naphthalene (ng/g)	947	−0.08	− 0.08	− 0.07	− 0.03	0.06	−0.10^b	− 0.11^b	− 0.10^b
2-naphthalene (ng/g)	954	0.03	0.06^c	−0.01	0.12^b	−0.02	0.003	0.08	0.08
Total fluorene (ng/g)	952	−0.03	− 0.02	− 0.03	0.01	0.02	0.02	−0.04	− 0.05
2-fluorene (ng/g)	950	−0.01	−0.02	0.003	−0.03	0.01	−0.02	− 0.04	− 0.04
3-fluorene (ng/g)	949	−0.07	−0.07	− 0.04	−0.06	0.07	−0.05	− 0.10^b	−0.11^b
9-fluorene (ng/g)	434	0.05	0.07	0.0001	0.11	−0.01	0.08	0.02	0.03
Total phenanthrene (ng/g)	953	0.002	0.01	−0.01	0.04	−0.01	− 0.02	−0.03	− 0.02
1-phenanthrene (ng/g)	952	0.02	0.02	0.02	0.03	−0.02	−0.04	− 0.01	0.002
2-phenanthrene (ng/g)	671	0.04	0.05	0.004	0.07	−0.03	− 0.02	0.05	0.05
3-phenanthrene (ng/g)	671	−0.04	−0.04^c	− 0.04	−0.01^b	0.04	−0.02	− 0.07	−0.05
4-phenanthrene (ng/g)	419	0.05	0.08	−0.03	0.17	−0.01	0.05	0.01	0.05
1-pyrene (ng/g)	949	−0.06	− 0.07	−0.03	− 0.05	0.08	− 0.03	−0.02	− 0.01
Total PAHs	959	0.03	0.03	0.02	−0.01	−0.04	− 0.04	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), 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