Omega-3 supplementation and stress reactivity of cellular aging biomarkers: an ancillary substudy of a randomized, controlled trial in midlife adults

Higher levels of omega-3 track with longer telomeres, lower inflammation, and blunted sympathetic and cardiovascular stress reactivity. Whether omega-3 supplementation alters the stress responsivity of telomerase, cortisol, and inflammation is unknown. This randomized, controlled trial examined the impact of omega-3 supplementation on cellular aging-related biomarkers following a laboratory speech stressor. In total, 138 sedentary, overweight, middle-aged participants (n = 93 women, n = 45 men) received either 2.5 g/d of omega-3, 1.25 g/d of omega-3, or a placebo for 4 months. Before and after the trial, participants underwent the Trier Social Stress Test. Saliva and blood samples were collected once before and repeatedly after the stressor to measure salivary cortisol, telomerase in peripheral blood lymphocytes, and serum anti-inflammatory (interleukin-10; IL-10) and pro-inflammatory (interleukin-6; IL-6, interleukin-12, tumor necrosis factor-alpha) cytokines. Adjusting for pre-supplementation reactivity, age, sagittal abdominal diameter, and sex, omega-3 supplementation altered telomerase (p = 0.05) and IL-10 (p = 0.05) stress reactivity; both supplementation groups were protected from the placebo group's 24% and 26% post-stress declines in the geometric means of telomerase and IL-10, respectively. Omega-3 also reduced overall cortisol (p = 0.03) and IL-6 (p = 0.03) throughout the stressor; the 2.5 g/d group had 19% and 33% lower overall cortisol levels and IL-6 geometric mean levels, respectively, compared to the placebo group. By lowering overall inflammation and cortisol levels during stress and boosting repair mechanisms during recovery, omega-3 may slow accelerated aging and reduce depression risk. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00385723.

Exploratory Analysis of Racial/Ethnic and Educational Differences in a Randomized Controlled Trial of a Mindfulness-Based Weight Loss Intervention

OBJECTIVE

People of color and lower socioeconomic groups have higher obesity prevalence, lose less weight compared with Whites and higher socioeconomic groups, and are underrepresented in randomized controlled trials of mindfulness-based interventions. We examined whether mindfulness approaches reduce disparities in weight loss interventions.

METHODS

We analyzed data from a randomized controlled trial of 194 participants with obesity (41% participants of color, 36% without college degree) comparing a 5.5-month mindfulness-based weight loss intervention to an active-control with identical diet-exercise guidelines. We assessed attendance, 18-month attrition, and weight change at 6, 12, and 18 months by race/ethnicity and education level using linear mixed models, adjusting for baseline body mass index, age, and education or race/ethnicity, respectively.

RESULTS

Participants without versus with a college degree attended fewer sessions and had higher attrition across interventions. Participants of color attended fewer intervention sessions in the mindfulness compared with the control intervention. Overall, participants of color lost significantly less weight at 12 and 18 months compared with Whites. However, during the 6- to 18-month maintenance period, we found an interaction of intervention arm, race/ethnicity, and time (p = .035), indicating that participants of color compared with Whites regained more weight in the control (0.33 kg/mo; p = .005) but not mindfulness intervention (0.06 kg/mo; p = .62). Participants without a college degree had greater initial weight loss in the mindfulness compared to control intervention from 0 to 6 months (-0.46 kg/mo; p = .039).

CONCLUSIONS

Although disparities persist, mindfulness approaches may mitigate some racial/ethnic and socioeconomic differences in weight loss compared with conventional diet-exercise programs.Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov registration: NCT00960414.

A Brief Motivational Intervention Differentially Reduces Sugar-sweetened Beverage (SSB) Consumption

Background

Environmental and behavioral interventions hold promise to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage (SSBs) consumption.

Purpose

To test, among frequent SSB consumers, whether motivations to consume SSBs moderated the effects of (a) a workplace SSB sales ban (environmental intervention) alone, and (b) a “brief motivational intervention” (BI) in addition to the sales ban, on changes in SSB consumption.

Methods

We assessed whether (1) baseline motivations to consume SSBs (craving, psychological stress, or taste enjoyment) impacted changes in daily SSB consumption at 6-month follow-up among frequent (>12oz of SSBs/day) SSB consumers (N = 214); (2) participants randomized to the BI (n = 109) versus to the sales ban only (n = 105) reported greater reductions in SSB consumption at follow-up; and (3) motivations to consume SSBs moderated any changes in SSB consumption.

Results

In response to the sales ban alone, individuals with stronger SSB cravings (+1 SD) at baseline showed significantly smaller reductions in daily SSB consumption at 6-month follow-up relative to individuals with weaker (−1 SD) SSB cravings (2.5 oz vs. 22.5 oz), p < .01. Receiving the BI significantly increased reductions for those with stronger SSB cravings: Among individuals with stronger cravings, those who received the BI evidenced significantly greater reductions in daily SSB consumption [M(SE) = −19.2 (2.74) oz] than those who did not [M(SE) = −2.5 (2.3) oz, p < .001], a difference of 16.72 oz.

Conclusions

Frequent SSB consumers with stronger SSB cravings report minimal reductions in daily SSB consumption with a sales ban only, but report greater reductions if they also receive a motivational intervention. Future multilevel interventions for institutions should consider both environmental and individualized multi-level interventions.

Clinical Trial information

NCT02585336.

The long shadow of childhood trauma for depression in midlife: examining daily psychological stress processes as a persistent risk pathway

BACKGROUND

Childhood trauma (CT) increases the risk of adult depression. Buffering effects require an understanding of the underlying persistent risk pathways. This study examined whether daily psychological stress processes - how an individual interprets and affectively responds to minor everyday events - mediate the effect of CT on adult depressive symptoms.

METHODS

Middle-aged women (N = 183) reported CT at baseline and completed daily diaries of threat appraisals and negative evening affect for 7 days at baseline, 9, and 18 months. Depressive symptoms were measured across the 1.5-year period. Mediation was examined using multilevel structural equation modeling.

RESULTS

Reported CT predicted greater depressive symptoms over the 1.5-year time period (estimate = 0.27, s.e. = 0.07, 95% CI 0.15-0.38, p < 0.001). Daily threat appraisals and negative affect mediated the effect of reported CT on depressive symptoms (estimate = 0.34, s.e. = 0.08, 95% CI 0.22-0.46, p < 0.001). Daily threat appraisals explained more than half of this effect (estimate = 0.19, s.e. = 0.07, 95% CI 0.08-0.30, p = 0.004). Post hoc analyses in individuals who reported at least moderate severity of CT showed that lower threat appraisals buffered depressive symptoms. A similar pattern was found in individuals who reported no/low severity of CT.

CONCLUSIONS

A reported history of CT acts as a latent vulnerability, exaggerating threat appraisals of everyday events, which trigger greater negative evening affect - processes that have important mental health consequences and may provide malleable intervention targets.

Enhanced Stress Resilience Training in Surgeons: Iterative Adaptation and Biopsychosocial Effects in 2 Small Randomized Trials

OBJECTIVE

To determine the effects of ESRT (an iteratively adapted and tailored MBI) on perceived stress, executive cognitive function, psychosocial well-being (ie, burnout, mindfulness), and pro-inflammatory gene expression in surgical (ESRT-1) and mixed specialty (ESRT-2) PGY-1 volunteers.

SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND AND DATA

Tailored MBIs have proven beneficial in multiple high-stress and high-performance populations. In surgeons, tailored MBIs have been shown to be feasible and potentially beneficial, but whether mindfulness-based cognitive training can improve perceived stress, executive function, well-being or physiological distress in surgical and nonsurgical trainees is unknown.

METHODS

In 2 small single-institution randomized clinical trials, ESRT, a tailored mindfulness-based cognitive training program, was administered and iteratively adapted for first-year surgical (ESRT-1, 8 weekly, 2-hour classes, n = 44) and mixed specialty (ESRT-2, 6 weekly, 90-minute classes, n = 45) resident trainees. Primary and secondary outcomes were, respectively, perceived stress and executive function. Other prespecified outcomes were burnout (assessed via Maslach Burnout Inventory), mindfulness (assessed via Cognitive Affective Mindfulness Scale - Revised), and pro-inflammatory gene expression (assessed through the leukocyte transcriptome profile "conserved transcriptional response to adversity").

RESULTS

Neither version of ESRT appeared to affect perceived stress. Higher executive function and mindfulness scores were seen in ESRT-1, and lower emotional exhaustion and depersonalization scores in ESRT-2, at pre-/postintervention and/or 50-week follow-up (ESRT-1) or at 32-week follow-up (ESRT-2), compared to controls. Pooled analysis of both trials found ESRT-treated participants had reduced pro-inflammatory RNA expression compared to controls.

CONCLUSIONS

This pilot work suggests ESRT can variably benefit executive function, burnout, and physiologic distress in PGY-1 trainees, with potential for tailoring to optimize effects.

Emergency physician stressors, concerns, and behavioral changes during COVID-19: A longitudinal study

Objectives

The objective was to provide a longitudinal assessment of anxiety levels and work and home concerns of U.S. emergency physicians during the COVID‐19 pandemic.

Methods

We performed a longitudinal, cross‐sectional email survey of clinically active emergency physicians (attending, fellow, and resident) at seven academic emergency departments. Follow‐up surveys were sent 4 to 6 weeks after the initial survey and assessed the following: COVID‐19 patient exposure, availability of COVID‐19 testing, levels of home and workplace anxiety/stress, changes in behaviors, and performance on a primary care posttraumatic stress disorder screen (PC‐PTSD‐5). Logistic regression explored factors associated with a high PC‐PTSD‐5 scale score (≥3), indicating increased risk for PTSD.

Results

Of the 426 surveyed initial respondents, 262 (61.5%) completed the follow‐up survey. While 97.3% (255/262) reported treating suspected COVID‐19 patients, most physicians (162/262, 61.8%) had not received testing themselves. In follow‐up, respondents were most concerned about the relaxing of social distancing leading to a second wave (median score = 6, IQR = 4–7). Physicians reported a consistently high ability to order COVID‐19 tests for patients (median score = 6, IQR = 5–7) and access to personal protective equipment (median score = 6, IQR = 5–6). Women physicians were more likely to score ≥ 3 than men on the PC‐PTSD‐5 screener on the initial survey (43.3% vs. 22.5%; Δ 20.8%, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 9.3% to 31.5%), and despite decreases in overall proportions, this discrepancy remained in follow‐up (34.7% vs. 16.8%; Δ 17.9%, 95% CI = 7.1% to 28.1%). In examining the relationship between demographics, living situations, and institution location on having a PC‐PTSD‐5 score ≥ 3, only female sex was associated with a PC‐PTSD‐5 score ≥ 3 (adjusted odds ratio = 2.48, 95% CI = 1.28 to 4.79).

Conclusions

While exposure to suspected COVID‐19 patients was nearly universal, stress levels in emergency physicians decreased with time. At both initial and follow‐up assessments, women were more likely to test positive on the PC‐PTSD‐5 screener compared to men.

A Pilot Study Comparing the Effects of Consuming 100% Orange Juice or Sucrose-Sweetened Beverage on Risk Factors for Cardiometabolic Disease in Women

Overconsumption of sugar-sweetened beverages increases risk factors associated with cardiometabolic disease, in part due to hepatic fructose overload. However, it is not clear whether consumption of beverages containing fructose as naturally occurring sugar produces equivalent metabolic dysregulation as beverages containing added sugars. We compared the effects of consuming naturally-sweetened orange juice (OJ) or sucrose-sweetened beverages (sucrose-SB) for two weeks on risk factors for cardiometabolic disease. Healthy, overweight women (n = 20) were assigned to consume either 3 servings of 100% orange juice or sucrose-SB/day. We conducted 16-hour serial blood collections and 3-h oral glucose tolerance tests during a 30-h inpatient visit at baseline and after the 2-week diet intervention. The 16-h area under the curve (AUC) for uric acid increased in subjects consuming sucrose-SB compared with subjects consuming OJ. Unlike sucrose-SB, OJ did not significantly increase fasting or postprandial lipoproteins. Consumption of both beverages resulted in reductions in the Matsuda insulin sensitivity index (OJ: -0.40 ± 0.18, p = 0.04 within group; sucrose-SB: -1.0 ± 0.38, p = 0.006 within group; p = 0.53 between groups). Findings from this pilot study suggest that consumption of OJ at levels above the current dietary guidelines for sugar intake does not increase plasma uric acid concentrations compared with sucrose-SB, but appears to lead to comparable decreases of insulin sensitivity.

The Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Psychological Functioning in Family Caregivers: Secondary Analyses of a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

The responsibility and stress of being a family caregiver are associated with reduced physical and mental health.

PURPOSE

To examine whether a 24-week aerobic exercise program improves multiple aspects of psychological functioning in family caregivers.

METHODS

Family caregivers of patients with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias (n = 68) were recruited and randomized into either an aerobic exercise group (n = 34) or a waitlist control group (n = 34). The exercise group was assigned a 24-week aerobic training program that incrementally increased the intensity, duration, and frequency of the exercise program until 150 min of moderate to vigorous activity were completed per week by the ninth week. Twelve measures of psychological functioning were administered at baseline and compared with responses completed following the intervention.

RESULTS

Multilevel modeling revealed significant decreases in caregiver burden (β = -4.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [-8.82, -0.38], RLMM2 = 0.11) and depression (β = -2.59, 95% CI = [-4.79, -0.38], RLMM2 = 0.13), as well as increases in mastery (β = 1.78, 95% CI = [0.09, 3.46], RLMM2 = .04) in the exercise intervention group compared to the control group.

CONCLUSION

Family caregivers report high levels of depression and caregiver burden. Engagement in a 24-week exercise intervention can ameliorate the perceived burden of caregiving, symptoms of depression, and their sense of mastery.

HPA axis regulation and epigenetic programming of immune-related genes in chronically stressed and non-stressed mid-life women

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation has been associated with altered immune function, but the underlying molecular mechanisms are unclear. Epigenetic processes, including DNA methylation, respond to the glucocorticoid end-products of the HPA axis (cortisol in humans) and could be involved in this neuroendocrine-immune crosstalk. Here we examined the extent to which variations in HPA axis regulation are associated with peripheral blood DNA (CpG) methylation changes in 57 chronically stressed caregivers and 67 control women. DNA methylation was determined with the Illumina 450k array for a panel of genes involved in HPA axis and immune function. HPA axis feedback was assessed with the low-dose dexamethasone suppression test (DST), measuring the extent to which cortisol secretion is suppressed by the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone. After multiple testing correction in the entire cohort, higher post-DST cortisol, reflecting blunted HPA axis negative feedback, but not baseline waking cortisol, was associated with lower DNA methylation at eight TNF and two FKBP5 CpG sites. Caregiver group status was associated with lower methylation at two IL6 CpG sites. Since associations were most robust with TNF methylation (32% of the 450k-covered sites), we further examined functionality of this epigenetic signature in cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells in 33 participants; intriguingly, lower TNF methylation resulted in higher ex vivo TNF mRNA following immune stimulation. Taken together, our findings link chronic stress and HPA axis regulation with epigenetic signatures at immune-related genes, thereby providing novel insights into how aberrant HPA axis function may contribute to heightened inflammation and disease risk.

Early life adversity, pubertal timing, and epigenetic age acceleration in adulthood

BACKGROUND

Given associations linking early life adversity, pubertal timing, and biological aging, we examined the direct and indirect effects of early life trauma on adult biological aging (via age of menarche).

METHODS

Participants were premenopausal women (N = 183). Path models evaluated whether early life trauma predicted early pubertal timing and thereby, adult epigenetic age acceleration (indexed via four epigenetic clocks: Horvath DNAm Age, Hannum DNAm Age, DNAm PhenoAge, and DNAm GrimAge). Secondary analyses explored the effects of type of trauma (abuse and neglect) and adult chronic stress status (caregiver of child with autism and non-caregiver).

RESULTS

Early life trauma and earlier age at menarche independently predicted accelerated aging based on one of the four epigenetic clocks, DNAm GrimAge, though early life trauma was not associated with age of menarche. Childhood abuse, but not neglect, predicted faster epigenetic aging; results did not differ by chronic stress status.

CONCLUSIONS

Early trauma and early menarche appear to exert independent effects on DNAm GrimAge, which has been shown to be the strongest epigenetic predictor of mortality risk. This study identifies a potential correlate or determinant of accelerated epigenetic aging-menarcheal age. Future research should address the limitations of this study by using racially diverse samples.

The geroscience agenda: Toxic stress, hormetic stress, and the rate of aging

Geroscience offers a counterpoint to the challenged pursuit of curing diseases of aging, by focusing on slowing the biological aging process for extended healthspan earlier in life. Remarkable progress has led this field toward animal trials and the next challenge lies with translation to humans. There is an emerging number of small human trials that can take advantage of new models integrating behavioral and social factors. Understanding dynamic aging mechanisms, given the powerful social determinants of aging (Crimmins, 2020) and human variability and environmental contexts (Moffitt, 2020), will be critical. Behavioral and social factors are intrinsic to aging. Toxic stressors broadly defined can lead to stress-acceleration of aging, either directly impacting aging processes or by shaping poor behavioral health, and underlie the socioeconomic disparities of aging. In contrast, hormetic stressors, acute intermittent stressors of moderate intensity, can produce stress resilience, the ability for quick recovery and possibly rejuvenation of cells and tissues. Although health research usually examines static biomarkers, aging is reflected in dynamic ability to recover from challenges pointing to new interventions and targets for examining mechanisms. A fuller model incorporating stress resilience provides innovative biobehavioral interventions, both for bolstering response to challenges, such as COVID-19, and for improving healthspan.

Association between socioeconomic markers and adult telomere length differs according to sex: Pro-Saúde study

Understanding the social determinants of telomere length is critical to evaluate the risk of early biological aging. We investigated sex differences on the association between socioeconomic status (SES) and demographic markers and leukocyte telomere length (LTL) in Brazilian adults. This cross-sectional study was conducted in a subsample (women=228; men=200) nested within the Pro-Saúde study, a prospective cohort study of university civil servants in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2012-2013). Adjusted multivariate models were used to test the relationship between SES markers (marital status, educational attainment, father's educational attainment, race/skin color, household income, and childhood experience of food deprivation) and LTL. After adjusting for age and potential health-related confounders, lower educational attainment was associated with shorter LTL among men (β=-0.05, 95% confidence interval (CI)=95%CI: -0.10, 0.00, P=0.03). In women, LTL was inversely associated with unmarried status (β=-0.05, 95%CI: -0.09, 0.00, P=0.03), lower father's educational attainment (β=-0.05, 95%CI: -0.13, 0.00, P=0.04), and childhood experience of food deprivation (β=-0.07, 95%CI: -0.13, 0.00, P=0.04). Our findings suggested that the association between SES markers and LTL differs according to sex. SES markers able to induce lifelong stress, reflected in LTL, appeared to be more related to individual factors in men, whereas in women they were family-related.

Chronic psychosocial and financial burden accelerates 5-year telomere shortening: findings from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults Study

Leukocyte telomere length, a marker of immune system function, is sensitive to exposures such as psychosocial stressors and health-maintaining behaviors. Past research has determined that stress experienced in adulthood is associated with shorter telomere length, but is limited to mostly cross-sectional reports. We test whether repeated reports of chronic psychosocial and financial burden is associated with telomere length change over a 5-year period (years 15 and 20) from 969 participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study, a longitudinal, population-based cohort, ages 18-30 at time of recruitment in 1985. We further examine whether multisystem resiliency, comprised of social connections, health-maintaining behaviors, and psychological resources, mitigates the effects of repeated burden on telomere attrition over 5 years. Our results indicate that adults with high chronic burden do not show decreased telomere length over the 5-year period. However, these effects do vary by level of resiliency, as regression results revealed a significant interaction between chronic burden and multisystem resiliency. For individuals with high repeated chronic burden and low multisystem resiliency (1 SD below the mean), there was a significant 5-year shortening in telomere length, whereas no significant relationships between chronic burden and attrition were evident for those at moderate and higher levels of resiliency. These effects apply similarly across the three components of resiliency. Results imply that interventions should focus on establishing strong social connections, psychological resources, and health-maintaining behaviors when attempting to ameliorate stress-related decline in telomere length among at-risk individuals.

Telomere length predicts mortality in the Black Women’s Experiences Living with Lupus (BeWELL) Study

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease marked by inflammation that disproportionately impacts Black women. Telomeres are repetitive sequences of DNA capping the ends of chromosomes that shorten more rapidly in response to inflammation. Studies suggest that the telomere maintenance system may be disrupted in those with SLE, who have been shown to have shorter telomeres compared to healthy controls. Among those with SLE, Blacks have been found to experience more accelerated telomere shortening compared to those of other race groups. We examined the relationship between telomere length (TL) and mortality using data from the Black Women’s Experiences Living with Lupus (BeWELL) Study. Participants were 438 Black women with a validated diagnosis of SLE living in the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area, recruited between April 2015 and May 2017 predominantly from a large population-based registry. TL was assayed from dried blood spots collected at baseline and measured as the relative telomere to single copy gene (T/S) ratio. Mortality was assessed prospectively through April 2019. A total of 24 participants died during this time period. There was a negative association between TL and mortality, with shorter TL being associated with greater mortality risk (hazard ratio = 0.01, p=0.02). This relationship remained statistically significant after controlling for age and years since diagnosis, and further adjustment for a range of socio-demographic and health-related factors, including SLE damage and activity. Findings suggest that TL may forecast mortality among Black women with SLE. The association between TL and mortality among people with SLE should be further explored.

Efficacy of Digital Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for the Treatment of Insomnia Symptoms Among Pregnant Women: A Randomized Clinical Trial

IMPORTANCE

Despite the prevalence and adverse consequences of prenatal insomnia, a paucity of research is available regarding interventions to improve insomnia symptoms during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE

To test the efficacy of digital cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) compared with standard treatment among pregnant women with insomnia symptoms.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This randomized clinical trial enrolled pregnant women from November 23, 2016, to May 22, 2018. Of the 2258 women assessed for eligibility using an online self-report questionnaire, 208 were randomized to receive digital CBT-I (n = 105) or standard treatment (n = 103) for insomnia. Participants were pregnant up to 28 weeks' gestation, and they either had elevated insomnia symptom severity or met the criteria for insomnia caseness as determined by self-report questionnaires. Participants completed outcome measures at 10 weeks (postintervention) and 18 weeks (follow-up) after randomization. All study visits were completed remotely, and the intervention was delivered digitally. Data were analyzed between December 12, 2018, and July 2, 2019.

INTERVENTIONS

Digital CBT-I consisted of 6 weekly sessions of approximately 20 minutes each. Standard treatment reflected standard care. Women receiving standard treatment had no limits placed on the receipt of nonstudy treatments, including medication and psychotherapy.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

All outcomes were assessed remotely using self-report questionnaires administered via online survey. The primary outcome was the change in insomnia symptom severity (measured by the Insomnia Severity Index) from baseline to postintervention. Secondary outcomes were sleep efficiency and nightly sleep duration (defined by sleep diary), global sleep quality (measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), depressive symptom severity (measured by the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale), and anxiety symptom severity (measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7). For each outcome, we also examined the change from baseline to follow-up.

RESULTS

The 208 participants had a mean (SD) age of 33.6 (3.7) years and a mean (SD) gestational age of 17.6 (6.3) weeks at baseline. Most of the participants were white (138 [66.3%]), married or cohabiting (196 [94.2%]), had a college degree (180 [86.5%]), and earned $100 000 or more per year (141 [67.8%]). Women randomized to receive digital CBT-I experienced statistically significantly greater improvements in insomnia symptom severity from baseline to postintervention compared with women randomized to receive standard treatment (time-by-group interaction, difference = -0.36; 95% CI, -0.48 to -0.23; χ2 = 29.8; P < .001; d = -1.03). Improvements from baseline to postintervention for all secondary outcomes, with the exception of sleep duration, were statistically significant. A similar pattern of results was evident for the change from baseline to follow-up.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this trial, digital CBT was an effective, scalable, safe, and acceptable intervention for improving insomnia symptoms during pregnancy.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02805998.

Advancing Research on Psychosocial Stress and Aging with the Health and Retirement Study: Looking Back to Launch the Field Forward

OBJECTIVES

The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) was designed as an interdisciplinary study with a strong focus on health, retirement, and socioeconomic environment, to study their dynamic relationships over time in a sample of mid-life adults. The study includes validated self-report measures and individual items that capture the experiences of stressful events (stressor exposures) and subjective assessments of stress (perceived stress) within specific life domains.

METHODS

This article reviews and catalogs the peer-reviewed publications that have used the HRS to examine associations between psychosocial stress measures and psychological, physical health, and economic outcomes.

RESULTS

We describe the research to date using HRS measures of the following stress types: traumatic and life events, childhood adversity, caregiving and other chronic stressors, discrimination, social strain and loneliness, work stress, and neighborhood disorder. We highlight how to take further advantage of the longitudinal study to test complex biopsychosocial models of healthy aging.

DISCUSSION

The HRS provides one of the most comprehensive assessments of psychosocial stress in existing population-based studies and offers the potential for a deeper understanding of how psychosocial factors are related to healthy aging trajectories. The next generation of research examining stress and trajectories of aging in the HRS should test complex longitudinal and mediational relationships, include contextual factors in analyses, and include more collaboration between psychologists and population health researchers.

Racial discrimination and telomere shortening among African Americans: The Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study

OBJECTIVE

Telomeres are protective sequences of DNA capping the ends of chromosomes that shorten over time. Leukocyte telomere length (LTL) is posited to reflect the replicative history of cells and general systemic aging of the organism. Chronic stress exposure leads to accelerated LTL shortening, which has been linked to increased susceptibility to and faster progression of aging-related diseases. This study examined longitudinal associations between LTL and experiences of racial discrimination, a qualitatively unique source of minority psychosocial stress, among African Americans.

METHOD

Data are from 391 African Americans in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Telomere Ancillary Study. We examined the number of domains in which racial discrimination was experienced in relation to LTL collected in Years 15 and 25 (Y15: 2000/2001; Y25: 2010/2011). Multivariable linear regression examined if racial discrimination was associated with LTL. Latent change score analysis (LCS) examined changes in racial discrimination and LTL in relation to one another.

RESULTS

Controlling for racial discrimination at Y15, multivariable linear regression analyses indicated that racial discrimination at Y25 was significantly associated with LTL at Y25. This relationship remained robust after adjusting for LTL at Y15 (b = -.019, p = .015). Consistent with this finding, LCS revealed that increases in experiences of racial discrimination were associated with faster 10-year LTL shortening (b = -.019, p = .015).

CONCLUSIONS

This study adds to evidence that racial discrimination contributes to accelerated physiologic weathering and health declines among African Americans through its impact on biological systems, including via its effects on telomere attrition. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Understanding the Psychological Distress of Food Insecurity: A Qualitative Study of Children's Experiences and Related Coping Strategies

BACKGROUND

Food insecurity, a condition of inadequate household food availability, affects 15.7% of US households with children. Food insecurity is generally believed to affect the quantity and quality of food consumed. However, an understudied but important aspect of the experience of food insecurity is psychological distress.

OBJECTIVE

To critically explore the psychological distress associated with children's food insecurity using children's own reports of their experiences.

DESIGN

In-depth qualitative interviews conducted with children to better understand the psychological distress associated with food insecurity.

PARTICIPANTS/SETTING

Sixty children (aged 7 to 14 years) were recruited from the San Francisco Bay Area. Children were eligible in the case that they spoke English fluently and their parent reported any experience of household food insecurity during the past year.

RESULTS

Children discussed six themes related to the psychological distress associated with food insecurity: worrying about not having enough food, worrying about their parents' well-being, anger and frustration about not having enough food, embarrassment about their family's food situation, strain on the family's dynamics due to food insecurity, and sadness over not having enough food. After describing their experiences, children described strategies they employed to tolerate or cope with food insecurity, including distracting from or using their imagination to cope with food insecurity, increasing tolerance of their family's food situation, and appreciating their parents for providing food and resources.

CONCLUSIONS

Food insecurity contributes to children's psychological distress. Given the known effects of chronic stress in childhood, the psychological distress of food insecurity may represent an important mechanism by which food insecurity adversely influences children's growth and development and deserves investigation in future studies.

Association of a Workplace Sales Ban on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages With Employee Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened Beverages and Health

IMPORTANCE

Reductions in sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake can improve health, but are difficult for individuals to achieve on their own.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate whether a workplace SSB sales ban was associated with SSB intake and cardiometabolic health among employees and whether a brief motivational intervention provides added benefits to the sales ban.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This before-after study and additional randomized trial conducted from July 28, 2015, to October 16, 2016, at a Northern California university and hospital assessed SSB intake, anthropometrics, and cardiometabolic biomarkers among 214 full-time English-speaking employees who were frequent SSB consumers (≥360 mL [≥12 fl oz] per day) before and 10 months after implementation of an SSB sales ban in a large workplace, with half the employees randomized to receive a brief motivational intervention targeting SSB reduction.

INTERVENTIONS

The employer stopped selling SSBs in all workplace venues, and half the sample was randomized to receive a brief motivational intervention and the other half was a control group that did not receive the intervention. This intervention was modeled on standard brief motivational interventions for alcohol used in the workplace that promote health knowledge and goal setting.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Outcomes included changes in SSB intake, Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), and measures of abdominal adiposity. The primary associations tested were the correlation between changes in SSB intake and changes in HOMA-IR.

RESULTS

Among the 214 study participants, 124 (57.9%) were women, with a mean (SD) age of 41.2 (11.0) years and a baseline mean (SD) body mass index of 29.4 (6.5). They reported a mean daily intake of 1050 mL (35 fl oz) of SSBs at baseline and 540 mL (18 fl oz) at follow-up-a 510-mL (17-fl oz) (48.6%) decrease (P < .001). Reductions in SSB intake correlated with improvements in HOMA-IR (r = 0.16; P = .03). Those not randomized to receive the brief intervention reduced their SSB intake by a mean (SD) of 246.0 (84.0) mL (8.2 [2.8] fl oz), while those also receiving the brief intervention reduced SSB intake by 762.0 (84.0) mL (25.4 [2.8] fl oz). From baseline to follow-up, there were significant reductions in mean (SE) waist circumference (2.1 [2.8] cm; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

This study's findings suggest that the workplace sales ban was associated with a reduction in SSB intake and a significant reduction in waist circumference among employees within 10 months. The randomized clinical trial portion of this study found that targeting those at high risk with a brief motivational intervention led to additional improvements. Workplace sales bans may offer a promising new private-sector strategy for reducing the health harms of SSB intake.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02585336.

Pregnant Patient Perceptions of Provider Detection and Treatment of Insomnia

Objective: To survey pregnant patients about whether their health care providers assessed insomnia, the types of treatment recommendations providers made, and the types of treatments patients utilized. Participants: Participants were 423 English-speaking pregnant women. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, participants self-reported insomnia symptoms on the Insomnia Severity Index and indicated whether they discussed their sleep with a health care provider, whether they received any recommendations to improve their sleep, and whether they utilized any interventions or aids to improve their sleep during their current pregnancy. Results: Approximately one-third (39%) of participants reported that they discussed their sleep with a health care provider at some point during their pregnancy. Among participants who reported moderate to severe insomnia symptoms (Insomnia Severity Index>14), 57% reported that they had discussed their sleep with a health care provider, and 28% reported receiving an insomnia diagnosis. Over-the-counter medication was the most commonly recommended (53%) and utilized (39%) sleep intervention among women with moderate to severe insomnia symptoms. Conclusions: According to patient report, insomnia may be under-detected during pregnancy. When insomnia is recognized, treatment recommendations do not match clinical practice guidelines or women's preferences for receiving cognitive behavior therapy for insomnia. Taken together with previous research on the prevalence and consequences of prenatal insomnia, these findings suggest the need for an increased focus on the importance of sleep during pregnancy.

Do stress eating or compulsive eating influence metabolic health in a mindfulness-based weight loss intervention?

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to understand the associations of compulsive eating (CE) and stress eating (SE) with metabolic health among adults with obesity and whether mindfulness-based weight loss training may buffer these associations.

METHOD

We used data from a trial in which we randomized 194 participants with obesity to a diet-exercise weight loss intervention with either mindful eating training plus mindfulness-based eating awareness and stress management training (n = 100) or active control components (n = 94). We measured CE, SE, weight, and fasting blood glucose (FBG) at baseline, and 6, 12 months, and 18 months. We tested CE and SE as both moderators and mediators of intervention effects on changes in metabolic health.

RESULTS

Participants higher (+ 1 SD) in CE at baseline randomized to the mindfulness (vs. control) intervention had greater improvements in FBG at 18 months (p = .05). Twelve-month reductions in CE mediated the effect of the intervention on changes in FBG and weight at 12 and 18 months postbaseline (p ≤ .05). Furthermore, those higher (+ 1 SD) in SE at baseline were nearly 2 BMI points higher than those lower (-1 SD) in SE (p < .01). Decreases in SE (B = 3.42; p < .001; 95% CI [2.55, 4.30]) and CE (B = 0.45; p < .001; 95% CI [0.36, 0.54]) in all participants at 6 months were associated with greater weight loss at 18 months.

CONCLUSIONS

Those with greater compulsive eating may reduce risk for metabolic decline by participating in a mindfulness-based weight loss program. Future obesity interventions should consider tailoring treatment toward trait-level characteristics, such as compulsive eating. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).