Skip to main content

Table 1 Characteristics of the study population, NHANES 2011–2014 (N = 2496)

From: Response to important considerations when assessing the effect of essential fatty acids on cognitive performance

 

CERAD test

Animal Fluency test

Digit Symbol test

Normal Cognitive Performance

Low Cognitive Performance

P Value

Normal Cognitive Performance

Low Cognitive Performance

P Value

Normal Cognitive Performance

Low Cognitive Performance

P Value

Number of subjects

1851 (74.2)

645 (25.8)

 

1778 (71.2)

718 (28.8)

 

1850 (74.1)

646 (25.9)

 

Vitamin D (mcg)b

3.65 (4.2)

3.64 (3.7)

0.875

3.8 (4.1)

3.35 (3.9)

< 0.01

3.7 (4.2)

3.5 (3.6)

0.042

Niacin (mg)b

21.02 (11.8)

19.48 (11.7)

< 0.01

21.33 (11.9)

19.1 (10.6)

< 0.01

21.29 (11.7)

18.71 (11.5)

< 0.01

Vitamin B6 (mg)b

1.79 (1.04)

1.64 (1.02)

< 0.01

1.8 (1.06)

1.63 (1.01)

< 0.01

1.81 (1.03)

1.56 (1.04)

< 0.01

Vitamin B12 (mcg)b

3.82 (3.3)

3.40 (3.2)

< 0.01

3.88 (3.34)

3.34 (3.2)

< 0.01

3.9 (3.3)

3.15 (3.2)

< 0.01

Folic acid (mcg)b

132 (141)

119 (125)

0.012

132 (143)

120 (118)

< 0.01

133 (143)

113 (115)

< 0.01

Zinc (mg)b

9.4 (5.3)

8.7 (5.2)

< 0.01

9.62 (5.4)

8.23 (5.1)

< 0.01

9.56 (5.1)

8.05 (4.6)

< 0.01

Iron (mg)b

12.94 (7.4)

12.01 (7.7)

< 0.01

13.06 (7.5)

11.91 (7.4)

< 0.01

13 (7.5)

11.7 (7.6)

< 0.01

Copper (mg)b

1.08 (0.6)

1.01 (0.6)

< 0.01

1.11 (0.61)

0.95 (0.5)

< 0.01

1.12 (0.59)

0.93 (0.54)

< 0.01

Selenium (mcg)b

96.75 (53)

90.85 (52)

< 0.01

99.1 (54)

87.07 (52)

< 0.01

98.62 (51)

85.52 (55)

< 0.01

Protein (gm)b

70.06 (34.2)

65.52 (35.9)

< 0.01

71.11 (35.1)

63.73 (33.4)

< 0.01

70.98 (34.0)

61.01 (37.4)

< 0.01

Total saturated fatty acids (gm)b

20.65 (14.4)

17.85 (13.7)

< 0.01

21.03 (14)

17.39 (13.4)

< 0.01

21.13 (14)

16.8 (13.8)

< 0.01

Depression (%)a

145 (7.9)

71 (11.2)

0.010

120 (6.8)

96 (13.6)

< 0.01

120 (6.5)

96 (15.1)

< 0.01

Pre-diabetes (%)a

128 (9.4)

28 (6.4)

0.055

109 (8.2)

47 (10.0)

0.229

130 (9.3)

26 (6.5)

0.074

Gastrointestinal disorders (%)a

116 (6.3)

38 (5.9)

0.756

107 (6.0)

47 (6.6)

0.618

111 (6.0)

43 (6.7)

0.537

Smoking (%)a

928 (50.2)

333 (51.6)

0.521

908 (51.1)

353 (49.2)

0.382

926 (50.1)

335 (51.9)

0.437

  1. Data are number of subjects (percentage) or medians (inter quartile ranges)
  2. a Chi-square test was used to compare the percentage between participants with and without low cognitive performance
  3. b Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the mean values between participants with and without low cognitive performance