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. 2024 Feb 27;11:1326991. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1326991

Table 2.

Predictors of nitrate intake by source.

Plant-sourced nitrate Animal-sourced nitrate Water-sourced nitrate
Model 1 Model 2 Model 1 Model 2 Model 1 Model 2
n β (95% CI) p-val. β (95% CI) p-val. β (95% CI) p-val. β (95% CI) p-val. β (95% CI) p-val. β (95% CI) p-val.
Age (years)
50–54 23,543 ref. ref. ref. ref. ref. ref.
55–60 20,241 −0.70 (−1.11, −0.30) <0.001 −0.29 (−0.66, 0.08) 0.127 0.15 (0.08, 0.23) <0.001 0.24 (0.17, 0.30) <0.001 −0.15 (−0.28, −0.02) 0.028 −0.14 (−0.27, −0.01) 0.041
61–65 11,970 −1.43 (−1.90, −0.95) <0.001 −1.29 (−1.72, −0.85) <0.001 0.25 (0.16, 0.34) <0.001 0.28 (0.20, 0.36) <0.001 −0.41 (−0.56, −0.26) <0.001 −0.41 (−0.56, −0.25) <0.001
Sex
Female 29,178 ref. ref. ref. ref. ref. ref.
Male 26,576 −2.24 (−2.63, −1.86) <0.001 −10.02 (−10.40, −9.64) <0.001 0.67 (0.60, 0.74) <0.001 −0.84 (−0.91, −0.77) <0.001 −0.65 (−0.77, −0.52) <0.001 −0.84 (−0.98, −0.71) <0.001
BMI (kg/m2)
Underweight (BMI <18.5) 435 1.51 (−0.53, 3.55) 0.145 0.25 (−1.61,2.11) 0.791 0.28 (−0.09, 0.65) 0.134 0.04 (−0.30, 0.36) 0.841 −0.41 (−1.07, 0.25) 0.220 −0.44 (−1.10, 0.21) 0.188
Normal weight (BMI 18.5–24.9) 24,006 ref. ref. ref. ref. ref. ref.
Overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9) 23,231 −1.54 (−1.94, −1.15) <0.001 −0.93 (−1.29, −0.57) <0.001 0.08 (0.00, 0.15) 0.037 0.20 (0.13, 0.26) <0.001 0.10 (−0.03,0.22) 0.144 0.11 (−0.02,0.24) 0.091
Obese (BMI ≥30) 8,082 −3.15 (−3.70, −2.59) <0.001 −2.62 (−3.13, −2.12) <0.001 0.20 (0.10, 0.30) <0.001 0.30 (0.21, 0.39) <0.001 0.27 (0.09, 0.45) 0.003 0.28 (0.11, 0.46) 0.002
Physical activity level (MET score)
≤43.50 18,889 ref. ref. ref. ref. ref. ref.
43.75–73.50 18,481 4.01 (3.58, 4.45) <0.001 2.55 (2.15, 2.95) <0.001 0.31 (0.23, 0.39) <0.001 0.03 (−0.05, 0.10) 0.477 0.04 (−0.10, 0.18) 0.584 0.00 (−0.14, 0.14) 0.954
≥73.75 18,384 7.39 (6.95, 7.83) <0.001 4.07 (3.66, 4.47) <0.001 0.69 (0.62, 0.77) <0.001 0.05 (−0.03, 0.12) 0.216 0.25 (0.11,0.39) <0.001 0.17 (0.02, 0.31) 0.021
Alcohol intake (units/day)*
Abstainer 1,291 −0.30 (−1.50, 0.91) 0.630 −0.25 (−1.35, 0.84) 0.652 0.02 (−0.20, 0.24) 0.842 0.03 (−0.17, 0.22) 0.791 0.36 (−0.02, 0.75) 0.065 0.37 (−0.02, 0.75) 0.064
>0–1 24,700 ref. ref. ref. ref. ref. ref.
>1–2 13,217 0.54 (0.08, 1.01) 0.021 −0.33 (−0.75, 0.09) 0.126 0.12 (0.04, 0.20) 0.005 −0.05 (−0.12, 0.03) 0.194 −0.08 (−0.23,0.07) 0.270 −0.10 (−0.25,0.04) 0.168
>2 16,546 −0.85 (−1.30, −0.40) <0.001 −3.93 (−4.34, −3.51) <0.001 −0.11 (−0.19, −0.02) 0.011 −0.71 (−0.79, −0.64) <0.001 −0.51 (−0.66, −0.37) <0.001 −0.59 (−0.75, −0.44) <0.001
Smoking status
Never 19,563 ref. ref. ref. ref. ref. ref.
Former 16,056 1.00 (0.54, 1.45) <0.001 1.43 (1.02, 1.84) <0.001 −0.19 (−0.11, −0.28) <0.001 −0.11 (−0.19, −0.04) 0.002 0.22 (0.07, 0.36) 0.004 0.22 (0.08, 0.37) 0.003
Current 20,135 −5.32 (−5.76, −4.89) <0.001 −5.08 (−5.47, −4.68) <0.001 −0.31 (−0.39, −0.23) <0.001 −0.28 (−0.35, −0.21) <0.001 0.60 (0.46, 0.74) <0.001 0.58 (0.44, 0.72) <0.001
Education level
≤7 years 18,354 ref. ref. ref. ref. ref. ref.
8–10 years 25,697 3.45 (3.06, 3.89) <0.001 3.84 (3.46, 4.22) <0.001 0.06 (−0.01, 0.14) 0.098 0.14 (0.07, 0.20) <0.001 −0.45 (−0.59, −0.32) <0.001 −0.45 (−0.58, −0.31) <0.001
≥11 years 11,703 11.35 (10.83, 11.87) <0.001 10.71 (10.24, 11.18) <0.001 0.57 (0.48, 0.67) <0.001 0.46 (0.38, 0.55) <0.001 −0.77 (−0.94, −0.60) <0.001 −0.80 (−0.96, −0.63) <0.001

Associations between selected demographic and lifestyle variables and nitrate intake from plant, animal, and water sources. Estimates [β (95% confidence intervals)] and p-values were obtained from separate linear regression models. Model 1 included all predictors of interest; Model 2 included all predictors plus energy intake when plant-sourced and animal-sourced nitrate intakes were the outcomes of interest and water intake when water-sourced nitrate intake was the outcome of interest. MET, metabolic equivalent. *1 unit = 12 g.