Fig. 2

Associations of occasional and regular self-reported occupational exposure to solvents during pregnancy with behavior at ages 2, 6 and 12 (PELAGIE mother-child cohort, France, N = 459) compared to non-exposure. Latent variables: Internal, internalizing behavior; External, externalizing behavior. All regression coefficients were adjusted for sex, maternal education level, maternal age, breastfeeding duration, smoking during pregnancy, parity and mother-child interaction score at age 2. The direct effect of latent variables at a given age with prenatal exposure can be directly read for occasional exposure on the left and regular exposure on the right. The indirect associations of each latent variable at age 6 and 12 were derived by summing the associations along the two effects pointing to it via internal and external variables at age 2 and 6 (gray arrows). Each of these effects generates an association with exposure. The intensity of the association is given by multiplying all the regression coefficients along the respective effect. The total association, indicated under each latent variable at age 12, was obtained by summing the direct and indirect associations with exposure. Example of decomposition of the total association of occasional exposure to solvents with internalizing behavior at age 12: Direct association = 0.02; Indirect association via internalizing behavior variable at age 2 and 6 = (0.14*0.33*0.71); via internalizing behavior variable at age 2 and externalizing at age 6 = (0.14*-0.04*-0.12); via externalizing behavior variable at age 2 and 6 = (0.28*0.46*-0.12) and via externalizing behavior variable at age 2 and internalizing at age 6 = (0.28*0.11*0.71); via internalizing behavior variable at age 6 = (0.29*0.71);.via externalizing behavior variable at age 6 = (-0.04*-0.12);. Indirect association = (0.14*0.33*0.71) + (0.14*-0.04*-0.12) + (0.28*0.46*-0.12) + (0.28*0.11*0.71) + (0.29*0.71) + (-0.04*-0.12) = 0.25. Total association = 0.02 + 0.25 = 0.27