Table 3. Associations of serum fatty acids with abdominal obesity1,2.
| Quartile of serum fatty acid | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Ptrend3 | Pnon-linear4 | |||
| Palmitic acid | ||||||||
| SAD, cm | Observed | 20.3 (20.2–20.5) | 20.5 (20.3–20.6) | 20.7 (20.5–20.9) | 20.9 (20.7–21.0) | <0.0001 | 0.005 | |
| Adjusted5 | 20.3 (20.2–20.5) | 20.5 (20.3–20.6) | 20.7 (20.5–20.9) | 20.9 (20.7–21.0) | <0.0001 | 0.002 | ||
| WC, cm | Observed | 90.6 (89.8–91.4) | 91.3 (90.6–92.1) | 92.5 (91.7–93.3) | 93.2 (92.4–94.0) | <0.0001 | 0.0031 | |
| Adjusted | 90.6 (89.9–91.3) | 91.3 (90.6–92.0) | 92.5 (91.8–93.2) | 93.2 (92.6–93.9) | <0.0001 | 0.0010 | ||
| WHR, cm | Observed | 0.88 (0.87–0.88) | 0.88 (0.88–0.89) | 0.89 (0.89–0.90) | 0.90 (0.89–0.90) | <0.0001 | 0.0023 | |
| Adjusted | 0.88 (0.88–0.88) | 0.88 (0.88–0.89) | 0.89 (0.89–0.89) | 0.90 (0.89–0.90) | <0.0001 | 0.0008 | ||
| Linoleic acid | ||||||||
| SAD, cm | Observed | 21.3 (21.1–21.5) | 20.9 (20.7–21.1) | 20.3 (20.1–20.5) | 19.9 (19.7–20.0) | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | |
| Adjusted | 21.3 (21.1–21.5) | 20.9 (20.7–21.0) | 20.3 (20.2–20.5) | 19.9 (19.7–20.0) | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | ||
| WC, cm | Observed | 94.9 (94.1–95.7) | 93.0 (92.2–93.8) | 90.8 (90.1–91.6) | 88.9 (88.2–89.7) | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | |
| Adjusted | 94.9 (94.2–95.6) | 93.0 (92.3–93.6) | 90.8 (90.1–91.5) | 88.9 (88.2–89.6) | <0.0001 | <0.0001 | ||
| WHR, cm | Observed | 0.91 (0.90–0.91) | 0.89 (0.89–0.90) | 0.88 (0.88–0.89) | 0.87 (0.87–0.88) | <0.0001 | 0.0007 | |
| Adjusted | 0.91 (0.90–0.91) | 0.89 (0.89–0.89) | 0.88 (0.88–0.89) | 0.87 (0.87–0.88) | <0.0001 | 0.0011 | ||
| Alpha-linoleic acid | ||||||||
| SAD, cm | Observed | 20.8 (20.6–21.0) | 20.6 (20.4–20.8) | 20.5 (20.3–20.7) | 20.4 (20.3–20.6) | 0.0011 | 0.21 | |
| Adjusted | 20.8 (20.6–21.0) | 20.6 (20.5–20.8) | 20.5 (20.3–20.7) | 20.4 (20.2–20.6) | 0.0012 | 0.42 | ||
| WC, cm | Observed | 92.9 (92.1–93.7) | 91.8 (91.0–92.6) | 91.5 (90.7–92.3) | 91.4 (90.7–92.1) | 0.0032 | 0.08 | |
| Adjusted | 92.8 (92.1–93.4) | 92.0 (91.3–92.7) | 91.5 (90.8–92.2) | 91.4 (90.7–92.1) | 0.004 | 0.17 | ||
| WHR, cm | Observed | 0.89 (0.89–0.90) | 0.89 (0.88–0.89) | 0.89 (0.88–0.89) | 0.89 (0.88–0.89) | 0.51 | 0.0062 | |
| Adjusted | 0.89 (0.89–0.89) | 0.89 (0.88–0.89) | 0.89 (0.88–0.89) | 0.89 (0.88–0.89) | 0.50 | 0.019 | ||
| Eicosapentaenoic acid | ||||||||
| SAD, cm | Observed | 20.4 (20.2–20.6) | 20.7 (20.5–20.9) | 20.7 (20.5–20.8) | 20.6 (20.4–20.7) | 0.62 | 0.0354 | |
| Adjusted | 20.4 (20.2–20.5) | 20.7 (20.5–20.8) | 20.7 (20.5–20.9) | 20.6 (20.4–20.8) | 0.13 | 0.0076 | ||
| WC, cm | Observed | 91.4 (90.6–92.2) | 92.3 (91.5–93.0) | 92.2 (91.4–93.0) | 91.8 (91.0–92.6) | 0.71 | 0.11 | |
| Adjusted | 91.1 (90.4–91.8) | 92.1 (91.4–92.8) | 92.3 (91.7–93.0) | 92.1 (91.4–92.8) | 0.11 | 0.0203 | ||
| WHR, cm | Observed | 0.89 (0.88–0.89) | 0.89 (0.89–0.90) | 0.89 (0.88–0.89) | 0.88 (0.88–0.89) | 0.10 | 0.42 | |
| Adjusted | 0.89 (0.88–0.89) | 0.89 (0.89–0.89) | 0.89 (0.88–0.89) | 0.89 (0.88–0.89) | 0.61 | 0.57 | ||
| Docohexaenoic acid | ||||||||
| SAD, cm | Observed | 20.8 (20.6–21.0) | 20.6 (20.4–20.8) | 20.6 (20.4–20.8) | 20.4 (20.2–20.6) | 0.0016 | 0.31 | |
| Adjusted | 20.7 (20.5–20.8) | 20.6 (20.4–20.8) | 20.6 (20.4–20.8) | 20.5 (20.3–20.7) | 0.18 | 0.17 | ||
| WC, cm | Observed | 92.5 (91.8–93.3) | 92.1 (91.3–92.9) | 91.8 (91.0–92.7) | 91.2 (90.4–91.9) | 0.0080 | 0.30 | |
| Adjusted | 92.1 (91.4–92.8) | 92.0 (91.3–92.7) | 91.9 (91.3–92.6) | 91.6 (90.9–92.3) | 0.45 | 0.14 | ||
| WHR, cm | Observed | 0.89 (0.89–0.90) | 0.89 (0.88–0.89) | 0.89 (0.88–0.89) | 0.88 (0.88–0.89) | <0.0001 | 0.61 | |
| Adjusted | 0.89 (0.89–0.90) | 0.89 (0.88–0.89) | 0.89 (0.88–0.89) | 0.88 (0.88–0.89) | 0.0144 | 0.91 | ||
1FA, fatty acid; SAD, sagittal abdominal diameter; WC, waist circumference; WHR, waist-hip ratio.
2Values are quartile means (95% CI).
3P for overall trend (Ptrend) was evaluated using linear regression models with sex-specific quartile median as exposure; for observed values sex was the only additional covariate, while for multivariable-adjusted trend sex, physical activity, alcohol intake, education and smoking were included as covariates.
4P for nonlinearity (Pnon-linear) was evaluated using restricted cubic splines
5Adjusted for physical activity, alcohol intake, education and smoking.