Factors affecting the variability in the observed levels of urinary cadmium among children and nonsmoker adolescents.

Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 1999-2012 were used to evaluate factors that affect observed levels of urine cadmium (UCd) among children aged 6-11 years and nonsmoker adolescents aged 12-19 years. Adjusted UCd levels were found to be statistically significantly higher for female nonsmoker adolescents than male nonsmoker adolescents (p < 0.01). Non-Hispanic white (NHW) participants had statistically significantly lower adjusted levels of UCd (<0.01) than non-Hispanic black (NHB) participants for both children (p < 0.01) and adolescents (p < 0.01). Dietary intake of cadmium was not found to affect the levels of UCd. While unadjusted levels of UCd for nonsmoker adolescents declined (p < 0.01) over 1999-2012 by 28.3%, no statistically significant trend was observed for adjusted levels.