Dietary Predictors of Paraben Exposure Among Adults in Northern Thailand

Background: Parabens are frequently utilized as preservatives in processed foods; nevertheless, the primary dietary factors contributing to exposure in northern Thailand remain undetermined. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 130 adults in Northern Thailand. Dietary intake was assessed using self-reported food consumption data combined with previously measured paraben concentrations. Due to the skewed distribution of intake, participants were classified into lower and higher exposure groups. LASSO regression was applied for variable selection, followed by multivariable logistic regression to identify dietary predictors of exposure. Results: Several processed food items were significantly associated with higher paraben exposure, including soft drinks, potato chips, and canned fish. No demographic factors were significantly associated with exposure. The final model demonstrated good explanatory power and classification performance. Conclusions: These findings suggest that routine consumption of certain processed foods and beverages may play a larger role in exposure than individual characteristics, and they highlight practical targets, particularly soft drinks, potato chips, and canned fish, for community-based health-promotion strategies aimed at reducing unnecessary preservative intake.