. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Jan 1.

Published in final edited form as: Psychosom Med. 2012 Dec 20;75(1):2–10. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0b013e31827c08a9

TABLE 3.

Change in the association between optimism and total carotenoid concentrations when potential pathway variables are included (N = 981)

	Association with Total Carotenoid Concentrations^a
Predictors	^b	SE	% Δ
Optimism	0.24^*	0.10	–
Demographic covariates^b
Optimism	0.17^~	0.10	−29%
Demographic covariates^b
Fruit and vegetable consumption
Optimism	0.24^*	0.10	0%
Demographic covariates^b
Multivitamin supplementation
Optimism	0.22^*	0.10	−8%
Demographic covariates^b
Exercise
Optimism	0.18^~	0.10	−25%
Demographic covariates^b
Smoking status
Optimism	0.13	0.10	−46%
Demographic covariates^b
All behaviors^c

Note: The p-value symbolized in the second column from the left indicates the association between optimism and total carotenoid concentrations in the presence of demographic covariates or demographic covariates plus potential pathway variable(s).

Total carotenoid concentrations was composed of trans-β-carotene, α-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein, and zeaxanthin

Adjusted for age, sex, race, education, income, and time between assessments

Adjusted for fruit and vegetable consumption, multivitamin supplementation, exercise, and smoking status

p ≤ .10,

p ≤ .05