Non-linear associations between HPA axis activity during infancy and mental health difficulties during early childhood among children in rural Pakistan.

ABSTRACT: Hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis activity may be a mechanism linking early adversity to child mental health difficulties. However, there is a dearth of longitudinal evidence for the association between HPA axis activity and mental health among children in low-resource contexts. The goal of this study is to examine linear and curvilinear associations between HPA axis activity during infancy and mental health difficulties in early childhood among children in rural Pakistan. Participants included 104 children (46% male) from the Bachpan study, a longitudinal cohort embedded within a maternal depression trial in Pakistan. We examined the associations between hair-derived cortisol and dehydroepiandosterone (DHEA) at 12 months old and mental health difficulties, measured with the Streng

SUBMITTER: Frost A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9922341 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature