Dataset Information

Determinants of Chronic Biological Stress, Measured as Hair Cortisol Concentration, in a General Population of Adolescents: From Individual and Household Characteristics to Neighborhood Urbanicity.

ABSTRACT: Chronic biological stress may adversely affect adolescents' physical and mental health, but insight in the personal and environmental factors that determine chronic stress is limited. We measured 3-month cumulative hair cortisol concentration (HCC) in 419 adolescents, participating in the Flemish Environment and Health Study. Adolescents' health and lifestyle characteristics, household and neighborhood socio-economic status as well as neighborhood urbanicity were assessed as potential determinants of HCC, using multiple linear regression models. We additionally explored heterogeneity of our results by sex. HCC were significantly higher in boys from densely populated neighborhoods, the association was not significant in girls. Accordingly, boys living outside cities had significantly lower HCC than boys, living in cities. HCC was significantly lower in adolescents with an optimal vitality, a measure of a positive mental health status. In adolescent girls, menarcheal status (pre-/postmenarche) was a significant determinant of HCC. Our findings are the first to suggest that residential urbanicity may have an impact on chronic biological stress in a general population of adolescent boys.

SUBMITTER: Verheyen VJ

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8650704 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Determinants of Chronic Biological Stress, Measured as Hair Cortisol Concentration, in a General Population of Adolescents: From Individual and Household Characteristics to Neighborhood Urbanicity.

Verheyen Veerle J VJ Remy Sylvie S Govarts Eva E Colles Ann A Koppen Gudrun G Martin Laura Rodriguez LR Nielsen Flemming F Bruckers Liesbeth L Bijnens Esmée M EM Vos Stijn S Morrens Bert B Coertjens Dries D Loots Ilse I De Decker Annelies A Franken Carmen C Den Hond Elly E Nelen Vera V De Henauw Stefaan S Covaci Adrian A Van Larebeke Nicolas N Teughels Caroline C Nawrot Tim S TS Schoeters Greet G

Frontiers in public health 20211123

Chronic biological stress may adversely affect adolescents' physical and mental health, but insight in the personal and environmental factors that determine chronic stress is limited. We measured 3-month cumulative hair cortisol concentration (HCC) in 419 adolescents, participating in the Flemish Environment and Health Study. Adolescents' health and lifestyle characteristics, household and neighborhood socio-economic status as well as neighborhood urbanicity were assessed as potential determinan ...[more]

PMID: 34888272

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Project description:BackgroundMothers and their children demonstrate dyadic synchrony of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function, likely influenced by shared genetic or environmental factors. Although evidence has shown that chronic stress exposure has physiologic consequences for individuals-including on the HPA axis-minimal research has explored how unmet social needs such as food and housing instability may be associated with chronic stress and HPA axis synchrony in mother-child dyads.MethodsWe conducted a secondary analysis of data from 364 mother-child dyads with low-income recruited during a randomized trial conducted in an urban pediatric clinic. We used latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify subgroups based on naturally occurring patterns of within-dyad hair cortisol concentration (HCC). A logistic regression model predicted dyadic HCC profile membership as a function of summative count of survey-reported unmet social needs, controlling for demographic and health covariates.ResultsLPA of HCC data from dyads revealed a 2-profile model as the best fit. Comparisons of log HCC for mothers and children in each profile group resulted in significantly "higher dyadic HCC" versus "lower dyadic HCC" profiles (median log HCC for mothers: 4.64 vs 1.58; children: 5.92 vs 2.79, respectively; P < .001). In the fully adjusted model, each one-unit increase in number of unmet social needs predicted significantly higher odds of membership in the higher dyadic HCC profile when compared to the lower dyadic HCC profile (odds ratio = 1.13; 95% confidence interval [1.04-1.23]; P = .01).ConclusionMother-child dyads experience synchronous patterns of physiologic stress, and an increasing number of unmet social needs is associated with a profile of higher dyadic HCC. Interventions aimed at decreasing family-level unmet social needs or maternal stress are, therefore, likely to affect pediatric stress and related health inequities; efforts to address pediatric stress similarly may affect maternal stress and related health inequities. Future research should explore the measures and methods needed to understand the impact of unmet social needs and stress on family dyads.

Project description:ObjectivesPrior studies found increased hair cortisol concentration (a surrogate marker for hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation) in users of the levonorgestrel intrauterine device (LNG 52 mg IUD). We evaluated change in hair cortisol and psychometric tests in women initiating a copper (CuT380 IUD) or LNG 52 mg IUD.Study designWe prospectively enrolled healthy women initiating an LNG 52 mg IUD or CuT380 IUD. Participants provided hair and blood samples and completed psychometric inventories (Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, and Psychological General Well-Being Index) after IUD insertion and at 6 and 12 months. We used liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry to measure hair cortisol concentrations. We compared hair cortisol concentrations and psychometric test changes from baseline to 6 and 12 months using independent two-sample t tests.ResultsWe enrolled 39 of our targeted 86 participants (LNG 52 mg IUD 26, CuT380 IUD 13). Thirty-eight subjects (LNG 52 mg IUD 25, CuT380 IUD 13) completed 6 months of follow-up. We found no difference between cohorts in the mean change in hair cortisol concentrations at 6 months (LNG 52 mg IUD n = 21 [-0.01 pg/mg (95% CI -1.26, 1.23); CuT380 IUD n = 13 [-1.31 pg/mg (-3.36, 0.73)]). While psychometric inventory results remained within normal ranges, LNG 52 mg IUD users reported a trend toward more favorable changes over time.ConclusionsWe did not find clinically important differences in hair cortisol concentrations following initiation of a CuT380 IUD or LNG 52 mg IUD; psychometric inventories demonstrated no adverse effect of hormonal IUDs on mood.ImplicationsOur findings of similar hair cortisol concentrations following the initiation of either the LNG 52 mg IUD or CuT380 IUD suggest that hormonal IUDs do not increase cortisol concentrations or alter stress reactivity, and favorable effects on psychometric inventories provide further reassurance that the LNG 52 mg IUD has no adverse impact on mood.Trial registration numberClinicalTrials.gov NCT03499379.

Dataset Information

Determinants of Chronic Biological Stress, Measured as Hair Cortisol Concentration, in a General Population of Adolescents: From Individual and Household Characteristics to Neighborhood Urbanicity.

Publications

Determinants of Chronic Biological Stress, Measured as Hair Cortisol Concentration, in a General Population of Adolescents: From Individual and Household Characteristics to Neighborhood Urbanicity.

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