Serum carotenoids and clustering of adverse health behaviors in American adults.
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.
Okosun
Ike S
IS
Department of Community Medicine, Mercer University School of Medicine, Macon GA 31207, USA. okosun_i@mercer.edu
Prewitt
T Elaine
TE
Chandra
K M Dinesh
KM
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*
D002338:Carotenoids