Table 2. Association of Fish Intake During Pregnancy and Maternal Mercury Levels With Metabolic Syndrome Score Among Children Aged 8 Years .
| Model | Metabolic Syndrome Score (N = 805)a | |
|---|---|---|
| β Estimate (95% CI) | P Value | |
| Separate models | ||
| Fish intake, times/wk | ||
| <1 [Reference] | NA | NA |
| ≥1 to ≤3 | −0.92 (−1.45 to −0.38) | .001 |
| >3 | −0.59 (−1.20 to 0.02) | .06 |
| Mercury exposure, log2 μg/L | 0.17 (0.01 to 0.33) | .04 |
| Mutually adjusted model | ||
| Fish intake, times/wk | ||
| <1 [Reference] | NA | NA |
| ≥1 to ≤3 | −0.96 (−1.49 to −0.42) | <.001 |
| >3 | −0.71 (−1.33 to −0.10) | .02 |
| Mercury exposure, log2 μg/L | 0.18 (0.01 to 0.34) | .03 |
| Effect heterogeneityb | ||
| Fish intake, times/wk (mercury exposure, μg/L) | .32c | |
| <1 (<3.5) [Reference] | NA | NA |
| <1 (≥3.5) | 0.93 (0.06 to 1.79) | .04 |
| 1-3 (<3.5) | −0.70 (−1.33 to −0.07) | .03 |
| 1-3 (≥3.5) | −0.56 (−1.27 to 0.16) | .13 |
| >3 (<3.5) | −0.51 (−1.20 to 0.18) | .15 |
| >3 (≥3.5) | −0.06 (−0.79 to 0.67) | .87 |
Abbreviation: NA, not applicable.
The metabolic syndrome score is expressed in mean (SD) and was derived using z scores for waist circumference, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level, triglyceride level, insulin level, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Estimates are β coefficients (95% CIs) calculated by linear regression models that were adjusted for maternal age, maternal prepregnancy body mass index (calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared), parental education, maternal parity, children’s race/ethnicity, and cohort.
The following numbers of participants were included for each combination of fish intake and mercury exposure: 80 participants for low fish intake (<1 time/week) and low mercury exposure (<3.5 μg/L); 37 participants for low fish intake and high mercury exposure (≥3.5 μg/L); 238 participants for moderate fish intake (1-3 times per week) and low mercury exposure; 79 participants for moderate fish intake and high mercury exposure; 216 participants for high fish intake (>3 times per week) and low mercury exposure; and 155 participants for high fish intake and high mercury exposure.
P value for interaction between fish intake and mercury exposure.