title: Serum carotenoids and clustering of adverse health behaviors in American adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the association between clustering of adverse health behaviors (cigarette smoking, alcohol intake, and sedentarism) and serum carotenoids in a representative sample of white, Black, and Hispanic Americans.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data (n=6,218) from the Third US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey were utilized for this investigation. Adjusted gender-specific linear regression analyses were used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Increase in clustering of adverse health behaviors was associated with decreased serum concentrations of a-carotene, b-carotene, bcryptoxanthine, and luteine/zeaxanthene in the 3 racial/ethnic groups (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Persons with multiple adverse health behaviors should be advised to increase fruit and vegetable consumption, as primary sources of chemopreventive antioxidants.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon GA 31207, USA. okosun_i@mercer.edu
authors.forename: Ike S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Okosun
authors.forename: T Elaine
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Prewitt
authors.forename: K M Dinesh
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Chandra
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D002338:Carotenoids