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Viejo-Romero M, Whalley HC, Shen X, Stolicyn A, Smith DJ, Howard DM. An epidemiological study of season of birth, mental health, and neuroimaging in the UK Biobank. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0300449. [PMID: 38776272 PMCID: PMC11111058 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0300449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Environmental exposures during the perinatal period are known to have a long-term effect on adult physical and mental health. One such influential environmental exposure is the time of year of birth which affects the amount of daylight, nutrients, and viral load that an individual is exposed to within this key developmental period. Here, we investigate associations between season of birth (seasonality), four mental health traits (n = 137,588) and multi-modal neuroimaging measures (n = 33,212) within the UK Biobank. Summer births were associated with probable recurrent Major Depressive Disorder (β = 0.026, pcorr = 0.028) and greater mean cortical thickness in temporal and occipital lobes (β = 0.013 to 0.014, pcorr<0.05). Winter births were associated with greater white matter integrity globally, in the association fibers, thalamic radiations, and six individual tracts (β = -0.013 to -0.022, pcorr<0.05). Results of sensitivity analyses adjusting for birth weight were similar, with an additional association between winter birth and white matter microstructure in the forceps minor and between summer births, greater cingulate thickness and amygdala volume. Further analyses revealed associations between probable depressive phenotypes and a range of neuroimaging measures but a paucity of interactions with seasonality. Our results suggest that seasonality of birth may affect later-life brain structure and play a role in lifetime recurrent Major Depressive Disorder. Due to the small effect sizes observed, and the lack of associations with other mental health traits, further research is required to validate birth season effects in the context of different latitudes, and by co-examining genetic and epigenetic measures to reveal informative biological pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Viejo-Romero
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Heather C. Whalley
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Xueyi Shen
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Aleks Stolicyn
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Daniel J. Smith
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - David M. Howard
- Division of Psychiatry, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Institute of Psychiatry, Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, United Kingdom
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Gaml-Sørensen A, Brix N, Ernst A, Lunddorf LLH, Lindh C, Toft G, Henriksen TB, Arah OA, Ramlau-Hansen CH. The estimated effect of season and vitamin D in the first trimester on pubertal timing in girls and boys: a cohort study and an instrumental variable analysis. Int J Epidemiol 2023; 52:1328-1340. [PMID: 37178177 PMCID: PMC11046010 DOI: 10.1093/ije/dyad060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Season of birth has been associated with age at menarche. Maternal vitamin D levels in pregnancy may explain this effect. We investigated whether the season of first trimester or maternal 25-hydroxyvitamin D3 [25(OH)D3] levels were associated with pubertal timing in children. METHODS We conducted a follow-up study of 15 819 children born in 2000-03 from the Puberty Cohort, nested in the Danish National Birth Cohort (DNBC). Mean differences in attaining numerous pubertal markers, including a combined estimate for the average age at attaining all pubertal markers, were estimated for low (November-April) relative to high (May-October) sunshine exposure season in the first trimester using multivariable interval-censored regression models. Moreover, we conducted a two-sample instrumental variable analysis using season as an instrument for maternal first-trimester 25(OH)D3 plasma levels obtained from a non-overlapping subset (n = 827) in the DNBC. RESULTS For the combined estimate, girls and boys of mothers who had their first trimester during November-April had earlier pubertal timing than girls and boys of mothers whose first trimester occurred during May-October: -1.0 months (95% CI: -1.7 to -0.3) and -0.7 months (95% CI: -1.4 to -0.1), respectively. In the instrumental variable analysis, girls and boys also had earlier pubertal timing: respectively, -1.3 months (95% CI: -2.1 to -0.4) and -1.0 months (95% CI: -1.8 to -0.2) per SD (22 nmol/L) decrease in 25(OH)D3. CONCLUSIONS Both first pregnancy trimester during November-April and lower 25(OH)D3 were associated with earlier pubertal timing in girls and boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anne Gaml-Sørensen
- Department of Public Health, Research Unit for Epidemiology, Bartholins Allé 2, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 650 Charles E Young Dr. South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Nis Brix
- Department of Public Health, Research Unit for Epidemiology, Bartholins Allé 2, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Aarhus University Hospital, Brendstrupgårdsvej 21 C, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Andreas Ernst
- Department of Public Health, Research Unit for Epidemiology, Bartholins Allé 2, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Department of Urology, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens, Boulevard 35, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Lea Lykke Harrits Lunddorf
- Department of Public Health, Research Unit for Epidemiology, Bartholins Allé 2, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Christian Lindh
- Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Lund University, Medicon Village, Byggnad 402 A, 22363, Lund, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Toft
- Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus, Aarhus University Hospital, Hedeager 3, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Tine Brink Henriksen
- Perinatal Epidemiology Research Unit, Aarhus University and Department of Paediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Aarhus University Hospital, Palle Juul-Jensens Boulevard 103, 8200, Aarhus N, Denmark
| | - Onyebuchi A Arah
- Department of Public Health, Research Unit for Epidemiology, Bartholins Allé 2, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 650 Charles E Young Dr. South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
- Department of Statistics, Division of Physical Sciences, UCLA College, Boelter Hall 9434, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
| | - Cecilia Høst Ramlau-Hansen
- Department of Public Health, Research Unit for Epidemiology, Bartholins Allé 2, Aarhus University, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark
- Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 650 Charles E Young Dr. South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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Zafeiris KN, Tsimbos C, Verropoulou G, Hatzisavva K. Studying the seasonality of conceptions among five distinct population subgroups in mainland Greece: a story of similarities and variability. J Biosoc Sci 2023; 55:893-907. [PMID: 36263503 DOI: 10.1017/s0021932022000396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The paper studies seasonality of conceptions among five distinct population subgroups of mainland Greece for the period 1951-2002. The populations explored include those residing in Metsovo, Dion, Organi, Kehros, as well as a "General" Sample consisting of persons located in various areas of continental Greece. The populations under investigation present diverse characteristics regarding religion, cultural background, socio-economic status etc. Records of births were derived from the Vital Registration System of the respective municipalities and communities of the populations under research were constructed. The date of child conception was estimated as the recorded date of birth minus 260 days.The analysis focuses, among others, on the construction of seasonal indices, applying a variant ratio to moving averages method which reveal, in relative terms, the seasonality of the phenomenon. Subsequently, these ratios are considered as the dependent variable in regression models while months, expressed in terms of dummy variables, are introduced as predictors. Four main sub-periods are considered; 1951-64, 1965-80, 1981-92 and 1992-2002. The findings show that the extent of seasonality differs between periods as well as between the five population subgroups though the phenomenon becomes less prominent over time in all cases. There is a tendency of an increased number of conceptions among mountainous populations during summer, irrespective of religion or socio-economic status, possibly partly due to environmental factors (i.e. seasonal workload, domestic organisation of extended families, etc). Nevertheless, the mountainous populations differ regarding the intensity and duration of this phenomenon. By contrast, in Dion, a lowland Christian Orthodox population, conceptions increase after Easter and remain elevated until June.
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Affiliation(s)
- K N Zafeiris
- Laboratory of Physical Anthropology, Department of History and Ethnology, Democritus University of Thrace, O. Tsaldari1, Komotini69132, Greece
| | - C Tsimbos
- Department of Statistics and Insurance Science, University of Piraeus, 80, M. Karaoli & A. Dimitriou St., Piraeus18534, Greece
| | - G Verropoulou
- Department of Statistics and Insurance Science, University of Piraeus, 80, M. Karaoli & A. Dimitriou St., Piraeus18534, Greece
| | - K Hatzisavva
- Laboratory of Physical Anthropology, Department of History and Ethnology, Democritus University of Thrace, O. Tsaldari1, Komotini69132, Greece
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Pan D, Shao Y, Song Y, Huang D, Liu S, Zeng X, Liang J, Juan Jennifer Tan H, Qiu X. Association between maternal per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance exposure and newborn telomere length: Effect modification by birth seasons. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2022; 161:107125. [PMID: 35183942 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2022.107125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Telomere length (TL) is an important biomarker of biological aging and disease that may be affected by prenatal exposure to environmental pollutants. Birth seasons have been linked to reproductive and immune-related diseases. Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) has been associated with adverse birth outcomes, but the effects of PFAS and birth seasons on newborn TL are poorly understood. OBJECTIVES To explore the individual and combined effects of maternal PFAS exposure on newborn TL, with exploration of the interaction between PFAS and birth seasons on newborn TL. METHODS Between June 2015 and May 2018, a total of 499 mother-newborn pairs were recruited for a birth cohort study in Guangxi, China. Maternal blood samples were collected during pregnancy. Nine PFASs were measured by ultraperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Newborn TL was assessed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Modeling newborn TL as the outcome, multivariable linear regressions were performed for individual PFAS exposures, and Bayesian Kernel Machine Regressions were performed for PFAS mixtures. Furthermore, interaction analyses were conducted to evaluate the effect modification by birth seasons in these relationships. RESULTS For both single and multipollutant models, PFASs exposure were inversely associated with newborn TL, although none of the relationships were significant. The mixture of PFASs showed a potential positive trend of combined effect on newborn TL but non-statistically significant. Each ln-transformed unit concentration increase in PFOA was related to a 20.41% (95% CI: -30.44%, -8.93%) shorter TL in spring-born infants but not in those born in other birth seasons. Mothers in the middle and highest tertiles of PFOA exposure had 11.69% and 10.71% shorter TLs in spring-born infants, respectively. CONCLUSION Maternal PFAS exposure showed little association with newborn TL. The results suggested potential effect modification by birth season on the association between PFOA exposure and newborn TL.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongxiang Pan
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi, China
| | - Yantao Shao
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530031, Guangxi, China
| | - Yanye Song
- The Third Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530031, Guangxi, China
| | - Dongping Huang
- Department of Sanitary Chemistry, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi, China
| | - Shun Liu
- Department of Child and Adolescent Health & Maternal and Child Health, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi, China
| | - Xiaoyun Zeng
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi, China
| | - Jun Liang
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi, China
| | - Hui Juan Jennifer Tan
- Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 117597, Singapore
| | - Xiaoqiang Qiu
- Department of Epidemiology and Health Statistics, School of Public Health, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning 530021, Guangxi, China.
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Guo J, Xu L, Wang J, Li C, Zhang C, Dong X, Zuo Y, Wen Y, Xiao F, Spruyt K, Han F. The month of birth has a seasonal effect in Chinese patients with narcolepsy and cataplexy. J Clin Sleep Med 2022; 18:461-467. [PMID: 34432630 PMCID: PMC8804987 DOI: 10.5664/jcsm.9626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
STUDY OBJECTIVES We assessed the yearly seasonal, environmental effects on birth pattern in Chinese patients later diagnosed with narcolepsy and cataplexy and explored if this effect persisted in patients with symptoms onset date before, following, and after the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. METHODS A total of 1,942 patients with birth data information and diagnosed narcolepsy with cataplexy were included in this study. The birth month and seasonal effect of 1,064 patients born from 1970 to 2000 were compared to controls (n = 2,028,714) from the general population. Furthermore, birth season effect in 1,373 patients with definite disease onset month were compared among patients with onset date before (n = 595), following (from January 2010 to December 2010) (n = 325), and after (n = 453) the H1N1 pandemic. RESULTS Patients with narcolepsy and cataplexy had a significantly different seasonality from the general population (P = .027). The monthly distribution of birth month yielded a peak in November (odds ratio = 1.23 [95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.49], P = .042) and a trough in April (odds ratio = 0.68 [95% confidence interval, 0.52-0.88], P = .004). No significant difference was observed in the birth month across patients with symptom onset dates before, following, and after the 2009 H1N1 pandemic (P = .603). CONCLUSIONS This finding across many years of seasonal effect in Chinese narcolepsy cataplexy supports a role for early-life environmental influences on disease development. CITATION Guo J, Xu L, Wang J, et al. The month of birth has a seasonal effect in Chinese patients with narcolepsy and cataplexy. J Clin Sleep Med. 2022;18(2):461-467.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Guo
- Sleep Medicine Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Liyue Xu
- Sleep Medicine Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Jingyu Wang
- Sleep Medicine Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Chenyang Li
- Peking University School of Nursing, Beijing, China
| | - Chi Zhang
- Sleep Medicine Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaosong Dong
- Sleep Medicine Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yuhua Zuo
- Sleep Medicine Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Yongfei Wen
- Sleep Medicine Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Fulong Xiao
- Sleep Medicine Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China
| | | | - Fang Han
- Sleep Medicine Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing, China,Address correspondence to: Fang Han, MD, Sleep Medicine Center, Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Peking University People’s Hospital, Beijing, 100044, China;
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Han F, Hu F, Wang T, Zhou W, Zhu L, Huang X, Bao H, Cheng X. Association Between Basal Metabolic Rate and All-Cause Mortality in a Prospective Cohort of Southern Chinese Adults. Front Physiol 2022; 12:790347. [PMID: 35058799 PMCID: PMC8763786 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2021.790347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between basal metabolic rate (BMR) and all-cause mortality in southern Chinese adults. Methods: We prospectively examined the relationship between BMR and all-cause mortality in 12,608 Southern Chinese adults with age ≥ 35 years who participated in the National Key R&D Program from 2013-2014 to 2019-2020. Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the association between BMR and all-cause mortality. Results: A total of 809 deaths (including 478 men and 331 women) occurred during a median follow-up period of 5.60 years. All-cause mortality was higher in elderly individuals than in non-elderly individuals (11.48 vs. 2.04%, P < 0.001) and was higher in male subjects than in female subjects (9.84 vs. 4.56%, P < 0.001). There was a significantly inverse relationship between BMR levels and all-cause mortality in elderly male individuals (adjusted-HR per SD increase: 0.80, 95% CI: 0.70-0.91, P < 0.001). Compared with BMR levels ≤ 1,115 kJ/day, there was lower all-cause mortality in third and highest BMR quartiles in the elderly male subjects (adjusted-HR: 0.71, 95% CI: 0.53-0.95, P = 0.022; adjusted-HR: 0.60, 95% CI: 0.43-0.84, P = 0.003, respectively). Conclusion: An elevated BMR was independently inversely associated with all-cause mortality in elderly male subjects in a southern Chinese population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengyu Han
- The Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Jiangxi Provincial Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Medical Research Center, Nanchang, China
| | - Feng Hu
- The Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Jiangxi Provincial Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Medical Research Center, Nanchang, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Jiangxi Provincial Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Medical Research Center, Nanchang, China.,Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- Jiangxi Provincial Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Medical Research Center, Nanchang, China.,Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Linjuan Zhu
- Jiangxi Provincial Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Medical Research Center, Nanchang, China.,Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xiao Huang
- The Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Jiangxi Provincial Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Medical Research Center, Nanchang, China.,Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Huihui Bao
- The Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Jiangxi Provincial Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Medical Research Center, Nanchang, China.,Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
| | - Xiaoshu Cheng
- The Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China.,Jiangxi Provincial Cardiovascular Disease Clinical Medical Research Center, Nanchang, China.,Center for Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Diseases, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang, China
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Lewis P, Morfeld P, Mohren J, Hellmich M, Erren TC. Perinatal photoperiod associations with diabetes and chronotype prevalence in a cross-sectional study of the UK Biobank. Chronobiol Int 2021; 38:343-359. [PMID: 33435754 DOI: 10.1080/07420528.2020.1849254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Experimental studies indicate that perinatal light may imprint the circadian timing system, subsequently affect later life physiology, and possibly disease risk. We combined individual time-of-year of birth and corresponding latitude to determine perinatal photoperiod characteristics for UK Biobank participants (n = 460,761) and tested for associations with diabetes mellitus (DM, the pathophysiology of which is often linked with circadian disruption) and chronotype (a trait co-governed by the circadian timing system) prevalence in a cross-sectional investigation. The UK Biobank is a population-based cohort with a 5.5% participation rate (~9.2 million individuals were invited into the study between 2006 and 2010). We defined three groups based on photoperiods experienced in the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and first 3 months post-birth time windows: (1) those who exclusively experienced non-extreme photoperiods (NEP, 8-16 hours), (2) those who experienced at least one extreme short photoperiod (ESP, <8 hours), and those who experienced at least one extreme long photoperiod (ELP, >16 hours). For individuals in each group and time window, mean daily photoperiod and relative photoperiod range (relative = relative to the mean) were calculated. Inclusion of relative photoperiod range adds dispersion information (relative change of photoperiods) to statistical models. Multivariable and multinomial logistic regression analyses were used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Increased 3rd trimester relative range was associated with decreased odds of DM (OR 0.63 95%CI 0.49-0.81) in the NEP group, but increased odds of DM were detected for the ESP (OR 1.34, 95%CI 0.96-1.86) and ELP groups (OR 1.32, 95%CI 0.78-2.22). Increased 3rd trimester relative range was associated with increased odds of being a "Morning" (OR 1.20, 95%CI 1.02-1.41) or "Evening" (OR 1.43, 95%CI 1.21-1.69) chronotype in the NEP group, but this was not observed in other groups. Additionally, different effect sizes and directions of association with DM were observed in different strata of ethnicity and chronotype and statistically significant odds ratio modifications were detected. In conclusion, perinatal photoperiod associations with DM and chronotype prevalence are detected in the UK Biobank. NEP, ESP, and ELP differences are speculated to be caused by a non-linear dose-response to photoperiods from 0-24 hours or by confounding due to artificial light playing a dominant role in ESP individuals and seeking darkness in ELP individuals. Ethnicity and chronotype may be important effect modifiers of perinatal photoperiod associations with DM. Potential for selection biases due to low UK Biobank participation rate disallows stating conclusions too strongly. Overall, further studies are needed to confirm different perinatal photoperiod associations with DM and chronotype. Further investigations into the hypothesized imprinting mechanism are also warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip Lewis
- Institute and Policlinic for Occupational Medicine, Environmental Medicine, and Prevention Research, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Peter Morfeld
- Institute and Policlinic for Occupational Medicine, Environmental Medicine, and Prevention Research, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Judith Mohren
- Institute and Policlinic for Occupational Medicine, Environmental Medicine, and Prevention Research, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Martin Hellmich
- Institute of Medical Statistics and Computational Biology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital of Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Thomas C Erren
- Institute and Policlinic for Occupational Medicine, Environmental Medicine, and Prevention Research, University of Cologne, Medical Faculty and University Hospital of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
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Season-of-birth phenomenon in health and longevity: epidemiologic evidence and mechanistic considerations. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2020; 12:849-858. [PMID: 33298226 DOI: 10.1017/s2040174420001221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
In many human populations, especially those living in regions with pronounced climatic differences between seasons, the most sensitive (prenatal and neonatal) developmental stages occur in contrasting conditions depending on the season of conception. The difference in prenatal and postnatal environments may be a factor significantly affecting human development and risk for later life chronic diseases. Factors potentially contributing to this kind of developmental programming include nutrition, outdoor temperature, infectious exposures, duration of sunlight, vitamin D synthesis, etc. Month of birth is commonly used as a proxy for exposures which vary seasonally around the perinatal period. Season-of-birth patterns have been identified for many chronic health outcomes. In this review, the research evidence for the seasonality of birth in adult-life disorders is provided and potential mechanisms underlying the phenomenon of early life seasonal programming of chronic disease and longevity are discussed.
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