Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39979906›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Multifaceted environmental factors linked to metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease: an environment-wide association study.

Rui Dong, Ting Tian, Chen Ming, Ru Zhang, Hong Xue, Zhenghan Luo, Chao Shen, Yunlong Ni, Jianguo Shao, Jie Wang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Rui Dong *Department of Fundamental and Community Nursing, School of Nursing, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Jiangning District, Jiangsu, 211166, China.
Ting Tian *Institute of Nutrition and Food Safety, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, China.
Chen MingDepartment of Public Health and Medicinal Administration, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Macau, Macao SAR, China.
Ru ZhangSchool of Nursing and Midwifery, Jiangsu College of Nursing, Huaian, China.
Hong XueDepartment of Liver Disease, Third Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, China.
Zhenghan LuoEast China Institute of Biomedical Technology, Nanjing, China.
Chao ShenNanjing Municipal Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, China.
Yunlong NiInstitute of Nutrition and Food Safety, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, China.
Jianguo ShaoDepartment of Gastroenterology, Third Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, 60 Qingnian Middle Avenue, Chongchuan District, Jiangsu, 226001, China. shaojianguo4144@163.com.
Jie WangDepartment of Fundamental and Community Nursing, School of Nursing, Nanjing Medical University, 101 Longmian Avenue, Jiangning District, Jiangsu, 211166, China. wangjienjmu@126.com.

Funding

Nantong Social Livelihood Science and Technology Project MS2023080Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions Nursing Science, 2018, No.87
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEnvironmental factors, or exposome, are non-negligible contributors to the occurrence and progression of metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD). Therefore, this environment-wide association study (EWAS) aimed to investigate the associations between multifarious environmental factors and MAFLD among the general adult population in the United States.

methodsEligible participants were obtained from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2020 cycles. Survey-weighted multivariate logistic regression models were constructed to identify and tentatively validate MAFLD-associated environmental factors. The least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression was conducted to identify tentatively validated environmental factors with stronger associations with MAFLD. Moreover, the importance, discrimination power, correlation patterns, subgroup-specific differences, and survey cycle heterogeneity of the identified factors were further examined by multiple statistical strategies.

resultsA total of 14,416 participants were included in this EWAS. Among 511 candidate environmental factors, 167 were identified and tentatively validated, and 45 were preserved after the LASSO selection and correlation evaluation. In this study, most previously known factors were replicated with reduced bias, and several poorly studied environmental factors were discovered, for example, upper leg length, access to care, mid-upper arm circumference, and total trabecular bone score. Their importance, discrimination ability, pairwise correlations, subgroup variations, and heterogeneity across survey cycles were further systematically and rigorously evaluated.

conclusionsThis EWAS comprehensively explored the associations between environmental factors and MAFLD in the general adult population from a panoramic perspective. The findings may provide clues for further understanding this disease and promote early prevention and risk prediction strategies in the future.

Indexed as

ExposomeNon-alcoholic Fatty Liver DiseaseAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNutrition SurveysUnited StatesYoung AdultExposomeLeast absolute shrinkage and selection operatorMetabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver diseaseNational Health and Nutrition Examination SurveyRandom forest

Identifiers

PMID39979906
PMCPMC11843789

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.