Sex, age, geographical location, smoking, and alcohol consumption influence serum selenium concentrations in the USA: third national health and nutrition examination survey, 1988–1994

• Published in: Journal of trace elements in medicine and biology 2003-01, Vol.17 (1), p.13-18
• Main Authors: Kafai, Mohammad R., Ganji, Vijay
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; alcohol; Alcohol Drinking; Analysis. Health state; Biological and medical sciences; Cotinine - blood; Epidemiology; Female; General aspects; Geography; Health Surveys; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; NHANES III; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Risk Factors; Selenium - blood; serum cotinine; serum selenium; Sex Factors; Smoking
• ISSN: 0946-672X; 1878-3252
• DOI: 10.1016/S0946-672X(03)80040-8

Selenium has been reported to reduce the risk for heart diseases and cancer. We examined the association of sex, age, geographical location, serum cotinine concentrations, a measure of smoking intensity, and alcohol consumption with serum selenium concentrations in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III), 1988–1994. Study sample consisted of 14,619 apparently healthy individuals (male: 7,102; female: 7,517) aged 14 to >90 years. Sex, age, geographical location, serum cotinine concentrations, and alcohol consumption significantly influenced serum selenium concentrations ( P < 0.05). The mean (±standard error) serum selenium concentration in men (124.5 ± 0.20 ng/mL) was significantly higher than in women (122.0 ± 0.20 ng/mL) ( P < 0.0001). Men in the 31–50 y age group had the highest mean serum selenium concentration. In the same age group, women had the lowest mean serum selenium concentration. In both sexes, participants living in the Midwest and West had significantly higher serum selenium concentrations than those living in South and Northeast geographical locations. Serum cotinine was negatively associated with serum selenium concentrations in both men (β = -0.0108; P < 0.0001 for trend) and women (β = -0.0097; P < 0.0001 for trend). Alcohol consumption is positively associated with serum selenium in women (β = 0.0462; P = 0.0044 for trend) but not in men (β = 0.0015; P = 0.8496 for trend). Although, sex, age, geographical location, smoking, and alcohol intake influenced serum selenium concentrations, clinically low serum selenium concentrations are not common in the USA.