The German Environmental Survey 1990/92 (GerES II): Primary predictors of blood cadmium levels in adults

As part of the representative Environmental Survey in Germany in 1990-1992, investigators determined cadmium levels in blood provided by 3,965 subject s aged 25-69 yr. The investigators considered approximately 150 variables ( i.e., demographics, household and occupational characteristics, environment al exposures, smoking habits, frequency of food consumption, and additional life-style features) as potential predictors in multivariate regression an alysis. On the basis of the results of multivariate regression analysis, th e authors derived 2 slightly different models for the prediction of blood c admium levels in populations from West and East Germany. Both models includ ed 3 primary predictors of blood cadmium levels. The 2 models explained 51. 3% and 61.2% of the observed variance in blood cadmium levels in West and E ast Germany, respectively. The most important predictor was a specific indi cator for smoking habits, which was determined from a separate mathematical model. In this model, the effect of smoking was considered, and the model accounted for the biological half-life of cadmium in blood.