Table 2. Baseline characteristics of the men according to urine phthalate metabolites (MEHHP, MEOHP, MECPP).
| Category | MEHHP | MEOHP | MECPP | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low (n = 1,145) | High (n = 381) | p-value | Low (n = 1,145) | High (n = 381) | p-value | Low (n = 1,145) | High (n = 381) | p-value | ||
| Age (years) | 51.1 ± 15.2 | 57.8 ± 13.7 | < 0.001 | 51.2 ± 15.2 | 57.4 ± 13.9 | < 0.001 | 51.6 ± 15.1 | 56.2 ± 14.5 | < 0.001a | |
| BMI | 0.192 | 0.097 | 0.058b | |||||||
| Normal | 596 (73.7) | 213 (26.3) | 593 (73.3) | 216 (26.7) | 591 (73.1) | 218 (26.9) | ||||
| Overweight | 549 (76.6) | 168 (23.4) | 552 (77.0) | 165 (23.0) | 554 (77.3) | 163 (22.7) | ||||
| Marital status | 0.012 | 0.105 | 0.375 | |||||||
| Single | 185 (83.0) | 38 (17.0) | 180 (80.7) | 43 (19.3) | 173 (77.6) | 50 (22.4) | ||||
| Married | 904 (73.8) | 321 (26.2) | 907 (74.0) | 318 (26.0) | 910 (74.3) | 315 (25.7) | ||||
| The others | 56 (71.8) | 22 (28.2) | 58 (74.4) | 20 (25.6) | 62 (79.5) | 16 (20.5) | ||||
| Smoking | 0.608 | 0.698 | 0.129 | |||||||
| None or ex-smokers | 762 (74.6) | 259 (25.4) | 763 (74.7) | 258 (25.3) | 754 (73.8) | 267 (26.2) | ||||
| Current smokers | 383 (75.8) | 122 (24.2) | 382 (75.6) | 123 (24.4) | 391 (77.4) | 114 (22.6) | ||||
| Food storage (refrigerator) | 0.001 | < 0.001 | 0.002 | |||||||
| Plastics | 593 (71.5) | 236 (28.5) | 588 (70.9) | 241 (29.1) | 596 (71.9) | 233 (28.1) | ||||
| The others | 552 (79.2) | 145 (20.8) | 557 (79.9) | 140 (20.1) | 549 (78.8) | 148 (21.2) | ||||
| Food storage (freezer) | 0.787 | 0.413 | 0.413 | |||||||
| Plastics | 1,131 (75.0) | 377 (25.0) | 1,130 (74.9) | 378 (25.1) | 1,130 (74.9) | 378 (25.1) | ||||
| The others | 14 (77.8) | 4 (22.2) | 15 (83.3) | 3 (16.7) | 15 (83.3) | 3 (16.7) | ||||
| Plastic bag drink | 0.161 | 0.315 | 0.854 | |||||||
| ≤ Once a week | 817 (74.1) | 286 (25.9) | 820 (74.3) | 283 (25.7) | 829 (75.2) | 274 (24.8) | ||||
| > Once a week | 328 (77.5) | 95 (22.5) | 325 (76.8) | 98 (23.2) | 316 (74.7) | 107 (25.3) | ||||
| Wrap packing delivery food | 0.828 | 0.607 | 0.417 | |||||||
| ≤ Once a week | 1,097 (75.0) | 366 (25.0) | 1,096 (74.9) | 367 (25.1) | 1,095 (74.8) | 368 (25.2) | ||||
| > Once a week | 48 (76.2) | 15 (23.8) | 49 (77.8) | 14 (22.2) | 50 (79.4) | 13 (20.6) | ||||
| PET drinks | 0.992 | 0.714 | 0.385 | |||||||
| ≤ Once a week | 379 (75.0) | 126 (25.0) | 376 (74.5) | 129 (25.5) | 372 (73.7) | 133 (26.3) | ||||
| > Once a week | 766 (75.0) | 255 (25.0) | 769 (75.3) | 252 (24.7) | 773 (75.7) | 248 (24.3) | ||||
| Microwave food | 0.020 | 0.052 | 0.438 | |||||||
| ≤ Once a week | 1,112 (74.6) | 378 (25.4) | 1,113 (74.7) | 377 (25.3) | 1,116 (74.9) | 374 (25.1) | ||||
| > Once a week | 33 (91.7) | 3 (8.3) | 32 (88.9) | 4 (11.1) | 29 (80.6) | 7 (19.4) | ||||
| Cup noodles | 0.006 | 0.012 | 0.119 | |||||||
| ≤ Once a week | 1,060 (74.2) | 368 (25.8) | 1,061 (74.3) | 367 (25.7) | 1,065 (74.6) | 363 (25.4) | ||||
| > Once a week | 85 (86.7) | 13 (13.3) | 84 (85.7) | 14 (14.3) | 80 (81.6) | 18 (18.4) | ||||
| Type of drinking water (at home) | 0.027 | 0.155 | 0.271 | |||||||
| Commercial bottled water | 203 (80.6) | 49 (19.4) | 198 (78.6) | 54 (21.4) | 196 (77.8) | 56 (22.2) | ||||
| The others | 942 (73.9) | 332 (26.1) | 947 (74.3) | 327 (25.7) | 949 (74.5) | 325 (25.5) | ||||
| Type of drinking water (at outdoor) | 0.558 | 0.393 | 0.750 | |||||||
| Commercial bottled water | 306 (76.1) | 96 (23.9) | 308 (76.6) | 94 (23.4) | 304 (75.6) | 98 (24.4) | ||||
| The others | 839 (74.6) | 285 (25.4) | 837 (74.5) | 287 (25.5) | 841 (74.8) | 283 (25.2) | ||||
| Grilled meat | 0.101 | 0.101 | 0.727 | |||||||
| ≤ Once a week | 951 (74.2) | 330 (25.8) | 951 (74.2) | 330 (25.8) | 959 (74.9) | 322 (25.1) | ||||
| > Once a week | 194 (79.2) | 51 (20.8) | 194 (79.2) | 51 (20.8) | 186 (75.9) | 59 (24.1) | ||||
| Milk, dairy products | 0.021 | 0.314 | 0.139 | |||||||
| ≤ Once a week | 574 (72.6) | 217 (27.4) | 585 (74.0) | 206 (26.0) | 581 (73.5) | 210 (26.5) | ||||
| > Once a week | 571 (77.7) | 164 (22.3) | 560 (76.2) | 175 (23.8) | 564 (76.7) | 171 (23.3) | ||||
| Hamburgers, pizza | 0.563 | 0.131 | 0.563 | |||||||
| ≤ Once a week | 1,125 (75.0) | 376 (25.0) | 1,123 (74.8) | 378 (25.2) | 1,125 (75.0) | 376 (25.0) | ||||
| > Once a week | 20 (80.0) | 5 (20.0) | 22 (88.0) | 3 (12.0) | 20 (80.0) | 5 (20.0) | ||||
| Large fish and tuna | 0.443 | 0.647 | 0.647 | |||||||
| ≤ Once a week | 1,099 (74.9) | 369 (25.1) | 1,100 (74.9) | 368 (25.1) | 1,100 (74.9) | 368 (25.1) | ||||
| > Once a week | 46 (79.3) | 12 (20.7) | 45 (77.6) | 13 (22.4) | 45 (77.6) | 13 (22.4) | ||||
| Fish | 0.171 | 0.267 | 0.135 | |||||||
| ≤ Once a week | 806 (76.0) | 254 (24.0) | 804 (75.8) | 256 (24.2) | 807 (76.1) | 253 (23.9) | ||||
| > Once a week | 339 (72.7) | 127 (27.3) | 341 (73.2) | 125 (26.8) | 338 (72.5) | 128 (27.5) | ||||
| Shellfish | 0.854 | 0.561 | 0.561 | |||||||
| ≤ Once a week | 1,079 (75.0) | 360 (25.0) | 1,082 (75.2) | 357 (24.8) | 1,082 (75.2) | 357 (24.8) | ||||
| > Once a week | 66 (75.9) | 21 (24.1) | 63 (72.4) | 24 (27.6) | 63 (72.4) | 24 (27.6) | ||||
| Crustacean | 0.622 | 0.403 | 0.864 | |||||||
| ≤ Once a week | 1,106 (74.9) | 370 (25.1) | 1,110 (75.2) | 366 (24.8) | 1,108 (75.1) | 368 (24.9) | ||||
| > Once a week | 39 (78.0) | 11 (22.0) | 35 (70.0) | 15 (30.0) | 37 (74.0) | 13 (26.0) | ||||
| Seaweed | 0.440 | 0.956 | 0.861 | |||||||
| ≤ Once a week | 482 (74.0) | 169 (26.0) | 488 (75.0) | 163 (25.0) | 487 (74.8) | 164 (25.2) | ||||
| > Once a week | 663 (75.8) | 212 (24.2) | 657 (75.1) | 218 (24.9) | 658 (75.2) | 217 (24.8) | ||||
| Other seafood items | 0.548 | 0.006 | 0.548 | |||||||
| ≤ Once a week | 1,085 (74.9) | 364 (25.1) | 1,077 (74.3) | 372 (25.7) | 1,085 (74.9) | 364 (25.1) | ||||
| > Once a week | 60 (77.9) | 17 (22.1) | 68 (88.3) | 9 (11.7) | 60 (77.9) | 17 (22.1) | ||||
Data were presented as mean ± standard deviation or number (%).
MEHHP: mono-(2-ethyl-5-hydroxyhexyl) phthalate; MEOHP: mono-(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate;MECPP: mono-(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalate; BMI: body mass index; PET: polyethylene terephthalate.
ap-value calculated by t-test.
bp-value calculated by χ2 test.