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

Table 4 Partial Pearson^a correlation between creatinine-adjusted PAHs and body fat percentages among non-smokers with non-Hispanic Black 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)	584	0.01	−0.01	0.03	− 0.04	− 0.001	− 0.11	0.02	0.02
1-naphthalene (ng/g)	582	−0.03	− 0.06	0.02	− 0.13^b	0.02	− 0.06	− 0.11^b	− 0.13^b
2-naphthalene (ng/g)	582	0.02	0.01	0.01	0.03	0.01	−0.12	0.09	0.11^b
Total fluorene (ng/g)	582	0.06	0.06	0.05	0.04	− 0.05	0.002	−0.06	− 0.04
2-fluorene (ng/g)	580	0.01	0.003	0.02	−0.004	− 0.001	−0.06	− 0.09	−0.07
3-fluorene (ng/g)	578	−0.07	−0.10	− 0.03	−0.10	0.09	− 0.10	−0.14^b	− 0.13^b
9-fluorene (ng/g)	290	0.20^b	0.22^b,c	0.13	0.21^b	−0.19^b	−0.03	0.15	0.18^b
Total phenanthrene (ng/g)	585	0.06	0.05	0.04	0.02	−0.07	0.05	−0.05	− 0.04
1-phenanthrene (ng/g)	584	0.05	0.04	0.04	0.02	−0.04	−0.07	− 0.03	−0.01
2-phenanthrene (ng/g)	372	0.11	0.10	0.08	0.06	−0.09	− 0.13	0.06	0.07
3-phenanthrene (ng/g)	376	−0.01	−0.03	0.003	−0.04	0.02	−0.07	− 0.08	−0.06
4-phenanthrene (ng/g)	284	0.16	0.16	0.13	0.14	−0.11	− 0.03	0.09	0.14
1-pyrene (ng/g)	581	−0.02	−0.03	0.01	−0.02	0.04	−0.12^b	− 0.05	−0.03
Total PAHs	585	0.02	0.01	0.03	−0.02	−0.03	− 0.004	−0.01	− 0.01

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