Skip to main content

Table 1 Concentrations of vitamins A, C, D, and E (α-tocopherol) by characteristics of study participants, NHANES III (1988–1994)

From: Serum antioxidant vitamins and respiratory morbidity and mortality: a pooled analysis

 

% participants

Vitamin A (µg/dl)

Vitamin C (mg/dl)

25-OHD (ng/mL)

Vitamin E [α-Tocopherol (mg/dl)]

Characteristics

Median (Q1,Q3)

P

Median (Q1,Q3)

P

Median (Q1,Q3)

P

Median (Q1,Q3)

P

All participants

100

56.6 (47.1, 67.5)

 

0.74 (0.36, 1.04)

 

24.4 (18.2, 31.2)

 

1.04 (0.85, 1.31)

 

Age groups

         

 20–39 years

46.5

53.5 (44.5, 63.7)

Ref.

0.70 (0.31, 0.99)

Ref.

25.7 (19.0, 32.8)

Ref.

0.91 (0.78, 1.11)

Ref.

 40–59 years

31.8

57.5 (48.3, 68.8)

 < 0.001

0.74 (0.35, 1.03)

0.992

23.7 (17.8, 30.0)

0.003

1.13 (0.93, 1.40)

 < 0.001

 60 + years

21.6

61.8 (52.1, 73.3)

 < 0.001

0.87 (0.51, 1.18)

 < 0.001

23.1 (17.4, 29.0)

0.022

1.27 (1.03, 1.62)

 < 0.001

Sex

         

 Men

47.8

60.5 (51.7, 70.7)

 < 0.001

0.67 (0.29, 0.96)

 < 0.001

25.8 (20.0, 32.4)

 < 0.001

1.04 (0.85, 1.28)

 < 0.001

 Women

52.2

52.3 (43.3, 63.6)

0.82 (0.44, 1.13)

23.0 (16.7, 29.8)

1.05 (0.86, 1.34)

Race/ethnicity

         

 Non-Hispanic Whites

76.4

58.0 (48.6, 68.7)

Ref.

0.77 (0.36, 1.08)

Ref.

26.3 (20.4, 32.8)

Ref.

1.08 (0.87, 1.36)

Ref.

 Non-Hispanic Blacks

10.7

51.2 (42.1, 62.4)

 < 0.001

0.57 (0.25, 0.87)

 < 0.001

15.6 (11.9, 20.6)

 < 0.001

0.91 (0.76, 1.11)

 < 0.001

 Mexican Americans

5.3

51.7 (43.0, 61.1)

 < 0.001

0.70 (0.38, 0.96)

 < 0.001

20.8 (16.0, 26.3)

 < 0.001

1.00 (0.83, 1.23)

 < 0.001

 Other

7.6

51.8 (43.3, 64.1)

 < 0.001

0.76 (0.47, 1.00)

0.582

20.4 (15.8, 26.8)

 < 0.001

0.98 (0.82, 1.25)

 < 0.001

Income

         

   < $20,000

33.2

54.9 (45.5, 66.6)

 < 0.001

0.63 (0.25, 0.98)

 < 0.001

23.1 (16.8, 29.7)

 < 0.001

0.99 (0.81, 1.26)

 < 0.001

 $20,000 + 

66.8

57.4 (47.9, 67.9)

0.78 (0.43, 1.07)

25.1 (19.0, 32.1)

1.07 (0.87, 1.34)

Education levels

         

 Below high school graduate

24.9

56.3 (46.9, 67.2)

 < 0.001

0.61 (0.23, 0.97)

 < 0.001

23.3 (17.4, 29.6)

 < 0.001

1.02 (0.83, 1.31)

 < 0.001

 High school graduate/Some college

54.5

55.9 (46.3, 66.4)

 < 0.001

0.73 (0.35, 1.04)

 < 0.001

24.3 (17.9, 31.4)

 < 0.001

1.03 (0.84, 1.29)

 < 0.001

 College graduate or higher

20.6

58.5 (49.4, 69.6)

Ref.

0.86 (0.60, 1.11)

Ref.

25.9 (20.3, 32.5)

Ref.

1.10 (0.90, 1.36)

Ref.

Cigarette smoke exposure

         

 No smoke exposure

8.5

57.2 (45.9, 68.0)

Ref.

0.95 (0.71, 1.22)

Ref.

24.1 (18.0, 30.8)

Ref.

1.17 (0.94, 1.52)

Ref.

 Secondhand smoke exposure

37.3

55.1 (45.4, 65.6)

 < 0.001

0.81 (0.48, 1.07)

 < 0.001

24.1 (18.0, 30.4)

 < 0.001

1.02 (0.84, 1.28)

 < 0.001

 Past smokers (Quit > 5 years ago)

18.4

60.9 (51.9, 72.5)

 < 0.001

0.85 (0.53, 1.10)

 < 0.001

25.4 (19.7, 31.6)

 < 0.001

1.18 (0.96, 1.50)

1.000

 Past smokers (Quit within 5 years)

7.1

58.8 (49.2, 69.6)

0.360

0.75 (0.40, 1.01)

 < 0.001

24.4 (18.2, 32.0)

1.000

1.06 (0.85, 1.30)

 < 0.001

 Current smokers

28.6

54.9 (46.3, 65.6)

0.057

0.43 (0.15, 0.84)

 < 0.001

24.1 (17.8, 32.0)

 < 0.001

0.96 (0.80, 1.19)

 < 0.001

BMI

         

 Underweight

2.4

46.3 (39.9, 56.5)

 < 0.001

0.72 (0.30, 1.13)

0.22

24.5 (17.8, 32.8)

0.295

0.91 (0.79, 1.10)

0.001

 Normal

42.3

54.6 (45.4, 65.5)

Ref.

0.80 (0.41, 1.11)

Ref.

26.0 (19.6, 33.0)

Ref.

0.99 (0.81, 1.24)

Ref.

 Overweight

32.9

59.2 (49.7, 69.7)

 < 0.001

0.74 (0.36, 1.02)

 < 0.001

24.5 (18.5, 31.0)

 < 0.001

1.11 (0.90, 1.41)

 < 0.001

 Obese

22.4

56.9 (47.2, 68.0)

0.994

0.63 (0.30, 0.95)

 < 0.001

21.4 (16.0, 27.4)

 < 0.001

1.08 (0.89, 1.33)

 < 0.001

Alcohol consumption

         

 Heavy drinker

10.3

61.9 (51.0, 73.4)

 < 0.001

0.61 (0.21, 0.97)

 < 0.001

25.0 (18.6, 32.8)

0.016

1.01 (0.84, 1.26)

 < 0.001

 Light/moderate drinker

44.3

57.6 (48.9, 67.7)

 < 0.001

0.74 (0.39, 1.02)

 < 0.001

26.0 (19.7, 32.6)

 < 0.001

1.03 (0.84, 1.26)

 < 0.001

 Non-drinker

45.4

54.0 (44.5, 65.0)

Ref.

0.77 (0.38, 1.08)

Ref.

23.0 (17.1, 29.5)

Ref.

1.07 (0.86, 1.37)

Ref.

Taking vitamin supplements

         

 Yes

42.2

58.8 (48.7, 70.1)

 < 0.001

0.93 (0.63, 1.20)

 < 0.001

25.5 (19.5, 32.1)

 < 0.001

1.20 (0.96, 1.54)

 < 0.001

 No

57.8

54.9 (45.8, 65.6)

0.58 (0.24, 0.91)

23.5 (17.4, 30.5)

0.96 (0.80, 1.17)

Caloric intake tertiles

         

 3rd (higher)

33.3

58.8 (49.0, 68.9)

 < 0.001

0.69 (0.32, 0.98)

 < 0.001

26.2 (20.0, 32.8)

 < 0.001

1.02 (0.83, 1.24)

 < 0.001

 2nd

34.0

56.5 (47.0, 67.0)

0.279

0.76 (0.37, 1.07)

0.817

24.8 (18.6, 31.6)

 < 0.001

1.04 (0.85, 1.33)

 < 0.001

 1st (lower)

32.6

54.4 (44.8, 65.8)

Ref.

0.78 (0.40, 1.11)

Ref.

22.3 (16.8, 29.1)

Ref.

1.07 (0.87, 1.38)

Ref.

General health status

         

 Excellent or very good

51.3

56.6 (47.4, 67.3)

Ref.

0.80 (0.45, 1.07)

Ref.

25.9 (19.8, 32.3)

Ref.

1.04 (0.86, 1.30)

Ref.

 Good

32.9

56.7 (46.6, 67.3)

 < 0.001

0.69 (0.30, 1.03)

 < 0.001

23.5 (17.4, 30.7)

 < 0.001

1.04 (0.83, 1.31)

0.061

 Fair or poor

15.8

56.4 (46.7, 68.3)

0.728

0.63 (0.25, 0.98)

 < 0.001

21.4 (16.1, 27.9)

 < 0.001

1.08 (0.87, 1.36)

0.003

Current asthma

         

 Yes

5.1

56.8 (48.2, 67.9)

0.725

0.67 (0.33, 1.01)

0.099

23.8 (17.4, 31.5)

0.065

1.03 (0.87, 1.27)

0.948

 No

94.9

56.6 (47.0, 67.4)

0.74 (0.36, 1.04)

24.4 (18.2, 31.2)

1.04 (0.85, 1.32)

Wheeze in past 12 months

         

 Yes

17.4

55.9 (46.7, 66.5)

0.064

0.62 (0.24, 0.98)

 < 0.001

24.5 (18.3, 31.7)

0.099

1.03 (0.85, 1.27)

0.765

 No

82.6

56.8 (47.1, 67.6)

0.76 (0.39, 1.06)

24.4 (18.1, 31.1)

1.05 (0.85, 1.32)

Chronic bronchitis or emphysema

         

 Yes

7.8

56.3 (46.7, 67.7)

 < 0.001

0.61 (0.23, 0.98)

 < 0.001

23.0 (17.6, 31.0)

0.217

1.07 (0.88, 1.34)

 < 0.001

 No

92.2

56.6 (47.1, 67.4)

0.75 (0.37, 1.04)

24.5 (18.2, 31.2)

1.04 (0.85, 1.31)

  1. Q1 1st quartile, Q3 3rd quartile, BMI body mass index
  2. P-values estimated using the Kruskal–Wallis H test for 2-level comparisons and the Dwass, Steel, Critchlow-Flinger analysis for 3 or more level comparisons