Table 1. Demographic Characteristics and RBC Fatty Acid levels.

	Total (n = 135)	African American (n = 78)	European American (n = 51)	Group comparison (p value)
Age, mean (SD)	23.8 (4.1)	23.9 (3.9)	23.4 (4.3)	0.47
Body Mass Index, mean (SD)	28.5 (8.1)	29.1 (8.0)	27.7 (8.6)	0.35
Marital Status				0.005
Married	22 (16.3%)	6 (7.7%)	14 (27.5%)
Unmarried, in a relationship	80 (59.3%)	48 (61.5%)	29 (56.9%)
Single	33 (24.4%)	24 (30.8%)	8 (15.7%)
Income				0.011a
Less than $15,000	88 (65.2%)	56 (71.8%)	30 (58.8%)
$15,000–$29,999	36 (26.7%)	20 (25.6%)	12 (32.5%)
≥ $30,000	11 (8.1%)	2 (2.6%)	9 (17.7%)
Education				0.21
High school or less	33 (24.4%)	22 (28.2%)	11 (21.6%)
Some college	39 (28.9%)	26 (33.3%)	11 (21.6%)
Bachelor’s degree	57 (42.2%)	27 (34.6%)	27 (52.9%)
Some graduate school or higher	6 (4.4%)	3 (3.9%)	2 (3.9%)
Smoking				0.036b
Current	18 (13.3%)	8 (10.3%)	10 (19.6%)
Past	24 (17.8%)	9 (11.5%)	12 (23.5%)
Never	93 (68.9%)	61 (78.2%)	29 (56.9%)
RBC Fatty Acid Levels
Docosahexaenoic Acid (22:6n3)	3.5 (0.7)	3.6 (0.7)	3.4 (0.8)	0.20
	1.9–5.8	2.2–5.6	1.9–5.8
Eicosapentaenoic (20:5n3)	0.2 (0.1)	0.2 (0.1)	0.2 (0.1)	0.45
	0.1–0.7	0.1–0.7	0.1–0.5
Arachidonic Acid (20:4n6)	14.5 (1.3)	14.9 (1.2)	14.0 (1.2)	<0.001
	10.5–17.7	12.2–17.7	10.5–16.7
DHA:AA ratio	0.24 (0.05)	0.24 (0.05)	0.24 (0.06)	0.67
	0.15–0.46	0.15–0.37	0.15–0.46

Note: Women of Hispanic ethnicity (n = 6) were excluded from comparisons by race. Fatty acid values are expressed as mg/100 mg of total fatty acids identified: mean (SD), range

^a A higher percentage of European Americans than African Americans had an income ≥ $30,000 (p = 0.003).

^b A higher percentage of African Americans than European Americans have never smoked (p = 0.010).