Table 1.
Characteristics of study sample and participants with elevated ALTa levels at Wave 1 and Wave 2. (N= 1,462)
| Wave 1
|
Wave 2
|
|||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total (N, %) | Elevated n= 245 | Proportion Elevated | P- Valueb | Total (N, %) | Elevated n= 212 | Proportion Elevated | P- Valueb | |
| Sex | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| Female | 1099 (75) | 140 | 0.13 | 1099 (75) | 137 | 0.12 | ||
| Male | 363 (25) | 105 | 0.29 | 0.00 | 363 (25) | 75 | 0.21 | 0.00 |
| Age | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| ≤ 39 | 488 (33) | 82 | 0.17 | 224 (15) | 40 | 0.18 | ||
| 40–59 | 749 (51) | 139 | 0.19 | 801 (55) | 137 | 0.17 | ||
| ≥ 60 | 225 (15) | 24 | 0.11 | 0.02 | 437 (30) | 35 | 0.08 | 0.00 |
| Education Status | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| Less than High School | 445 (30) | 77 | 0.17 | 438 (30) | 57 | 0.13 | ||
| High School graduate | 273 (19) | 50 | 0.18 | 270 (19) | 44 | 0.16 | ||
| More than High School | 744 (51) | 118 | 0.16 | 0.61 | 754 (52) | 111 | 0.15 | 0.47 |
| BMIc | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| Normal | 570 (39) | 40 | 0.07 | 501 (34) | 33 | 0.07 | ||
| Overweight | 618 (42) | 114 | 0.18 | 652 (45) | 104 | 0.16 | ||
| Obese | 274 (19) | 91 | 0.33 | 0.00 | 309 (21) | 75 | 0.24 | 0.00 |
| Diabetesd | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| No | 1358 (93) | 213 | 0.16 | 1264 (86) | 168 | 0.13 | ||
| Yes | 104 (7) | 32 | 0.31 | 0.00 | 198 (14) | 44 | 0.22 | 0.00 |
| Metabolic Syndromee | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| No | 1044 (72) | 136 | 0.13 | 837 (57) | 96 | 0.11 | ||
| Yes | 418 (28) | 109 | 0.26 | 0.00 | 625 (43) | 116 | 0.19 | 0.00 |
| Alcoholf | ||||||||
|
| ||||||||
| Nondrinker/Moderate | 1208 (83) | 173 | 0.14 | 975 (88) | 117 | 0.12 | ||
| Heavy/Binge | 254 (17) | 72 | 0.28 | 0.00 | 137 (12) | 24 | 0.18 | 0.07 |
Elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was defined as ALT > 40 IU/L for males and females.
P-value was computed using the Chi-squared test.
Body mass index (BMI) was defined as normal <25 kg/m2, overweight between 25–30 kg/m2, or obese ≥ 30 kg/m2.
Diabetes status was determined based on participant’s medical history, current use of diabetes medications, and/or a plasma glucose level > 125 mg/dL.
We defined Metabolic Syndrome according to the Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program’s Adult Treatment Panel (ATP III).
Alcohol intake was defined as follows: nondrinkers- no history of drinking, moderate- 1 drink a day for females and 1–2 drinks per day for males, heavy- 2–4 drinks per day for females and 3–4 for males, binge- 5 or more drinks per day for both females and males.