TABLE 2.
Ethnic differences in liver fat percentage
| Dutch, | Cape Verdean, | Dutch Antillean, | Moroccan, | Surinamese‐Creole, | Surinamese‐Hindustani, | Turkish, | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N = 1,889 | N = 99 | N = 88 | N = 152 | N = 94 | N = 83 | N = 165 | |
| Main model a | |||||||
| Difference in liver fat (95% CI) | Ref. | 0.17 (0.09 to 0.24) | 0.08 (0.00, 0.15) | 0.04 (−0.03 to 0.09) | 0.08 (0.00 to 0.15) | 0.04 (−0.03 to 0.12) | 0.22 (0.16 to 0.28) |
| p value | Ref. | <0.01* | 0.05* | 0.23 | 0.04* | 0.27 | <0.01* |
| + Prepregnancy factors b | |||||||
| Difference in liver fat (95% CI) | Ref. | 0.13 (0.06 to 0.20) | 0.04 (−0.04 to 0.11) | NA | 0.03 (−0.04 to 0.11) | NA | 0.17 (0.11 to 0.23) |
| p value | Ref. | <0.01* | 0.37 | NA | 0.37 | NA | <0.01* |
| Percentage change | NA | −23.5 | −50.0 | NA | −62.5 | NA | −22.7 |
| ++ Pregnancy factors c | |||||||
| Difference in liver fat (95% CI) | Ref. | 0.12 (0.05 to 0.20) | NA | NA | NA | NA | 0.15 (0.09 to 0.21) |
| p value | Ref. | <0.01* | NA | NA | NA | NA | <0.01* |
| Percentage change | NA | −5.9 | NA | NA | NA | NA | −9.1 |
| +++ Childhood factors d | |||||||
| Difference in liver fat (95% CI) | Ref. | 0.11 (0.03 to 0.18) | NA | NA | NA | NA | 0.15 (0.09 to 0.21) |
| p value | Ref. | <0.01* | NA | NA | NA | NA | <0.01* |
| Percentage change | NA | −5.9 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 0.0 |
| Full model e | |||||||
| Difference in liver fat (95% CI) | Ref. | 0.04 (−0.03 to 0.11) | NA | NA | NA | NA | 0.09 (0.04 to 0.15) |
| p value | Ref. | 0.22 | NA | NA | NA | NA | <0.01* |
| Percentage change | NA | −41.2 | NA | NA | NA | NA | −27.3 |
Note: This table shows the outcomes of the multiple linear regression models with log‐transformed liver fat fraction as the outcome and ethnicity as the main exposure. Dutch background was taken as the reference group, and all effect estimates are presented with their 95% CI and corresponding p value per model. NA is nonapplicable, used for effect estimates for ethnicity after becoming nonsignificant in the previous model and the percentage change in the reference category.
Main model: age and sex.
Main model + prepregnancy factors: the main model additionally adjusted for maternal age, maternal education, and prepregnancy BMI.
Main model + prepregnancy factors + pregnancy factors: previous model additionally controlled for smoking during pregnancy, alcohol use during pregnancy, and birth weight.
Main model + prepregnancy factors + pregnancy factors + childhood factors: previous model additionally controlled for breastfeeding, sugar intake at infancy, screen time, and exercise.
Full model: previous model additionally controlled for BMI at age 10 years. BMI SD score is based on growth charts from the Dutch Growth Research Association (21).
p < 0.05.