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Demographic Profiles, Mercury, Selenium, and Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Avid Seafood Consumers on Long Island, NY

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Abstract

Seafood consumption is known to confer nutritional benefits and risks from contaminant exposure. Avid seafood consumers are neither well-characterized with regard to their demographic profile nor their underlying risk–benefit profile. Contaminants [e.g., mercury (Hg)] and nutrients [e.g., selenium (Se), omega-3 fatty acids] are prevalent in some seafood. Participants (N = 285) recruited on Long Island, NY, completed food frequency and health questionnaires and received blood draws analyzed for Hg, omega-3s, and Se. Participants were categorized based on frequency and type of seafood consumption. Logistic regression analyses evaluated relationships between seafood consumption and demographics, and were age- and sex-adjusted. t tests assessed relationships between seafood consumption patterns and biomarkers Hg, omega-3s, and Se. Consumption of both tuna and salmon was associated with older age: those aged 55–75 and over 75 years old were more likely than participants aged 18–34 to eat tuna and salmon (OR 2.27; 95 % CI 1.05, 4.89 and OR 3.67; 95 % CI 1.20, 11.20, respectively). Males were less likely than females to eat fish other than tuna or salmon (OR 0.58; 95 % CI 0.34, 0.97). Caucasians were more likely to consume tuna (OR 0.31; 95 % CI 0.10, 0.96) or salmon and tuna (OR 0.34; 95 % CI 0.12, 0.91), while non-Caucasians were more likely to consume other fish types (OR 2.73; 95 % CI 1.45, 5.12). Total blood Hg was associated with weekly consumption of any type of fish (p = 0.01) and with salmon and tuna consumption (p = 0.01). Salmon was associated with plasma omega-3s (p = 0.01). Se was not associated with fish intake categories. Risk communicators can use these findings to influence seafood preferences of different demographic groups.

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Abbreviations

Hg:

Mercury

omega-3s:

Omega-3 fatty acids

RfD:

Reference dose

USDA:

U.S. Department of Agriculture

USEPA:

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

FFQ:

Food Frequency Questionnaire

OR:

Odds ratio

CI:

Confidence interval

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Acknowledgments

This work was generously supported by the Gelfond Fund for Mercury Research and Outreach and the Simons Foundation; we also thank the participants for their time and interest in our study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Undergraduate Studies, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA

    Rebecca Monastero

  2. School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA

    Roxanne Karimi

  3. Division of Allergy and Infectious Disease, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA

    Susan Silbernagel

  4. Department of Preventive Medicine and Program in Public Health, Stony Brook University, 071 Health Sciences Center, Stony Brook, NY, 11794, USA

    Jaymie Meliker

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  1. Rebecca Monastero
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  2. Roxanne Karimi
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  3. Susan Silbernagel
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  4. Jaymie Meliker
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Correspondence to Rebecca Monastero.

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Monastero, R., Karimi, R., Silbernagel, S. et al. Demographic Profiles, Mercury, Selenium, and Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Avid Seafood Consumers on Long Island, NY. J Community Health 41, 165–173 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-015-0082-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10900-015-0082-5

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