TABLE 6.

Direct and indirect effect of the chain mediation model with mediator of erythrocyte n – 3 PUFAs in association between dietary total n – 3 PUFA intake and breast cancer risk^a.

	Effect	95% CI	SE	Proportion mediated (%)
Direct effect
Dietary total n – 3 PUFAs → breast cancer	–0.447	–0.873, –0.022	0.217
Indirect effect
(1) Dietary total n – 3 PUFAs → RALA → breast cancer	0.007	–0.032, 0.044	0.018	N/A
(2) Dietary total n – 3 PUFAs → REPA → breast cancer	–0.051	–0.122, 0.007	0.032	N/A
(3) Dietary total n – 3 PUFAs → RDPA → breast cancer	0.006	–0.029, 0.043	0.018	N/A
(4) Dietary total n – 3 PUFAs → RDHA → breast cancer	–0.023	–0.072, 0.014	0.021	N/A
(5) Dietary total n – 3 PUFAs → RALA → REPA → breast cancer	0.001	–0.005, 0.008	0.003	N/A
(6) Dietary total n – 3 PUFAs → RALA → RDPA → breast cancer	0.0004	–0.002, 0.004	0.001	N/A
(7) Dietary total n – 3 PUFAs → RALA → RDHA → breast cancer	0.0001	–0.001, 0.002	0.001	N/A
(8) Dietary total n – 3 PUFAs → REPA → RDPA → breast cancer	–0.025	–0.053, –0.006	0.012	4.51
(9) Dietary total n – 3 PUFAs → REPA → RDHA → breast cancer	–0.021	–0.039, –0.008	0.008	3.79
(10) Dietary total n – 3 PUFAs → RDPA → RDHA → breast cancer	0.001	–0.002, 0.006	0.002	N/A
(11) Dietary total n – 3 PUFAs → RALA → REPA → RDPA → breast cancer	0.001	–0.002, 0.004	0.001	N/A
(12) Dietary total n – 3 PUFAs → RALA → REPA → RDHA → breast cancer	0.0004	–0.002, 0.003	0.001	N/A
(13) Dietary total n – 3 PUFAs → RALA → RDPA → RDHA → breast cancer	0.0000	–0.0002, 0.0004	0.0001	N/A
(14) Dietary total n – 3 PUFAs → REPA → RDPA → RDHA → breast cancer	–0.003	–0.006, –0.001	0.001	0.54
(15) Dietary total n – 3 PUFAs → RALA → REPA → RDPA → RDHA → breast cancer	0.0001	–0.0003, 0.0004	0.0002	N/A
Total indirect effect
Dietary total n – 3 PUFAs → breast cancer	–0.107	–0.216, –0.014	0.051	19.31

RALA, erythrocyte α-linolenic acid; CI, confidence interval; RDHA, erythrocyte docosahexaenoic acid; RDPA, erythrocyte docosapentaenoic acid; REPA, erythrocyte eicosapentaenoic acid; PUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acid; SE, standard error.

^aAdjusted for age, BMI, MET-h/week, education, passive smoking, regular drinking, first-degree relatives with cancer and energy intake.

^bN/A is due to no mediating effect.