Table 3 Association between prime components of serum carotenoids with BV

α-Carotene

0.87 (0.82, 0.91)

< 0.0001

0.93 (0.88, 0.98)

0.0099

0.96 (0.91, 1.02)

0.2122

α-Carotene quartile

Q1(0.21–1.37 μ g /ml)

Q2 (1.38–2.59 μ g /ml)

0.46 (0.33, 0.65)

< 0.0001

0.57 (0.40, 0.82)

0.0025

0.63 (0.43, 0.91)

0.0132

Q3(2.60–5.12 μ g /ml)

0.36 (0.26, 0.50)

< 0.0001

0.49 (0.34, 0.72)

0.0002

0.57 (0.38, 0.85)

0.0052

Q4(5.14–69.2 μ g /ml)

0.31 (0.22, 0.44)

< 0.0001

0.50 (0.34, 0.75)

0.0007

0.64 (0.42, 0.99)

0.0433

β-Carotene

0.97 (0.96, 0.98)

< 0.0001

0.98 (0.97, 0.99)

0.0171

0.99 (0.98, 1.00)

0.3357

β-Carotene quartile

Q1 (0.79–7.58 μ g /ml)

Q2 (7.59–12.74 μ g/ml)

0.55 (0.39, 0.76)

0.0004

0.62 (0.44, 0.89)

0.0101

0.69 (0.48, 1.00)

0.0495

Q3 (12.76–22.44 μ g/ml)

0.57 (0.41, 0.80)

0.0010

0.70 (0.48, 1.01)

0.0558

0.83 (0.57, 1.21)

0.3336

Q4(22.46–193 μ g /ml)

0.37 (0.26, 0.53)

< 0.0001

0.55 (0.37, 0.82)

0.0031

0.72 (0.47, 1.11)

0.1375

β-Cryptoxanthin

0.96 (0.93, 0.98)

0.0005

0.96 (0.93, 0.98)

0.0023

0.97 (0.94, 1.00)

0.0535

β-Cryptoxanthin quartile

Q1 (0.14–5.23 μ g /ml)

Q2 (5.25–8.07 μ g /ml)

0.83 (0.60, 1.15)

0.2630

0.74 (0.51, 1.06)

0.1035

0.77 (0.53, 1.12)

0.1687

Q3(8.10–13.47 μ g /ml)

0.48 (0.34, 0.68)

< 0.0001

0.49 (0.33, 0.72)

0.0003

0.56 (0.37, 0.83)

0.0039

Q4 (13.49–99.10 μ g /ml)

0.56 (0.40, 0.79)

0.0009

0.52 (0.35, 0.78)

0.0018

0.63 (0.41, 0.98)

0.0393

Lycopene

0.99 (0.97, 1.00)

0.1225

0.99 (0.97, 1.01)

0.2132

0.99 (0.98, 1.01)

0.3707

Lycopene quartile

Q1 (0.68–15.9 μ g /ml)

Q2 (15.96–21.59 μ g /ml)

0.84 (0.60, 1.17)

0.2999

0.89 (0.62, 1.29)

0.5424

0.95 (0.65, 1.38)

0.7841

Q3 (21.60–28.46 μ g /ml)

0.93 (0.67, 1.31)

0.6887

1.00 (0.70, 1.43)

0.9987

1.02 (0.70, 1.47)

0.9245

Q4 (28.50–81.47 μ g /ml)

0.73 (0.52, 1.03)

0.0764

0.77 (0.53, 1.11)

0.1561

0.82 (0.56, 1.21)

0.3209

Lutein / Zeaxanthin

0.96 (0.94, 0.98)

< 0.0001

0.97 (0.94, 0.99)

0.0055

0.97 (0.95, 1.00)

0.0512

Lutein / Zeaxanthin quartile

Q1 (0.14–10.27 μ g /ml)

Q2 (10.28–13.71 μ g /ml)

0.86 (0.62, 1.20)

0.3822

0.86 (0.60, 1.23)

0.4183

0.91 (0.63, 1.32)

0.6261

Q3 (13.72–18.47 μ g /ml)

0.78 (0.55, 1.09)

0.1386

0.79 (0.55, 1.15)

0.2227

0.86 (0.59, 1.26)

0.4437

Q4 (18.50–69.30 μ g /ml)

0.50 (0.35, 0.71)

< 0.0001

0.58 (0.39, 0.86)

0.0063

0.67 (0.44, 1.01)

0.0562