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. 2023 Dec 27;35:e53. doi: 10.35371/aoem.2023.35.e53

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.