Fig. 3

Mediation analysis of the associations of NAFLD risk with FM/FFM by sex and obesity status. *The mediation effect of potential mediator reached a statistically significant level. Triglycerides and HOMA‐IR were log‐transformed before analysis. The covariates were age, current smoking, current drinking, active physical activity, and education level. The mediating effects of each mediator were tested by applying the counterfactual mediation method. Controlled direct effect (CDE) represented the effect of exposure on the outcome via pathways that do not involve the mediator, natural indirect effects (NIE) represented the effect of exposure on the outcome operating through the mediators, and the total effect represented the sum of all ways of the effect of exposure on the outcome. The proportions of the association between the exposure and the outcome which is mediated by the mediators were calculated using the following formula: (CDE * (NIE − 1))/(CDE * NIE − 1). FM/FFM fat-to fat free mass ratio, HOMA-IR homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance, HDL-C high density lipoprotein cholesterol, WBC white blood cells, TC total cholesterol, TG triglycerides