Stress, development and mental health study, the follow-up study of Finnish TAM cohort from adolescence to midlife: cohort profile

Life-Course Associations Between Smoking and Depressive Symptoms. A 30-Year Finnish Follow-up Study

INTRODUCTION

Relatively little is known about whether the association between smoking and depressive symptoms changes with age and how the trajectories of smoking and depressive symptoms are intertwined during the life course. In this population-based study, these associations were examined from young adulthood to middle age.

METHODS

Participants of a Finnish cohort study (N = 1955) were assessed at the ages of 22, 32, 42, and 52 using questionnaires covering daily smoking (yes/no) and the short 13-item Beck Depression Inventory. Longitudinal latent class and longitudinal latent profile analyses were used to identify life course trajectories of smoking and depressive symptoms.

RESULTS

The proportions of daily smokers decreased, while levels of depressive symptoms increased among both females and males from age 22 to 52 years. Smoking was associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms from age 22 to 42 years, while not at 52. Associations among males prevailed when adjusting for education, marital status, and alcohol use. Four life course classes of daily smoking (nonsmokers, decreasing prevalence of smoking, persistent smokers, and increasing prevalence of smoking) and four trajectories of depressive symptoms (low, increasing/moderate, decreasing/moderate, and high) were identified. In males, persistent daily smokers (relative risk ratio (RRR) = 4.5, 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.2 to 9.2) and those in the class with increasing smoking prevalence (RRR = 3.2, 95% CI: 1.1 to 9.1) had an increased risk of belonging to the high depressive symptoms profile. In females these associations were nonsignificant.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared to females, the relationship between smoking and depressive symptoms seems more robust among males during adulthood. Specifically, males smoking persistently from young adulthood to middle age have an increased risk of high depressive symptoms trajectory.

IMPLICATIONS

This population-based cohort with 30 years of follow-up showed that the life course trajectories of daily smoking and depressive symptoms are associated. Persistent daily smokers and those starting late had an increased risk of belonging to the profile with constantly high levels of depressive symptoms during the life course. However, these associations were statistically significant only in males. Actions should be strengthened, especially in males, to prevent smoking initiation, to help smoking cessation, and to identify and treat depression in smokers with significant depressive symptoms.

The association between physical activity, self-efficacy, stress self-management and mental health among adolescents

This study aimed to explore the interplay between physical activity, self-efficacy, stress self-management and mental health among adolescents. The study gathered data from an online survey conducted among 400 Chinese middle school students (mean age = 13.74 years). The collected data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0 and PROCESS 4.1. The findings indicated a positive and significant relationship between physical activity, self-efficacy, stress self-management, and mental health. Notably, the association between physical activity and mental health was entirely mediated by self-efficacy and stress self-management. Moreover, self-efficacy and stress self-management exhibited a chain mediation effect on the relationship between physical activity and mental health. It is suggested that interventions focusing on physical activity should prioritize strategies for enhancing students' self-efficacy and stress self-management skills as integral components of promoting adolescents' mental health. Future research should delve into identifying specific types of physical activities that have a greater potential to enhance self-efficacy and stress self-management abilities.

Development of Body Dissatisfaction in Women and Men at Different Educational Levels During the Life Course

BACKGROUND

Our study examines the rarely investigated associations between body dissatisfaction and educational level over the life course in women and men.

METHODS

A Finnish cohort (N = 1955) was followed by questionnaires at ages 22, 32, 42, and 52. Body dissatisfaction was measured by asking the respondents to evaluate their appearance using five response options. Analyses were done using logistic regression, while latent class analyses were used to identify classes of body dissatisfaction trajectories over the life course.

RESULTS

Body dissatisfaction increased with age in women and men. Among men, body dissatisfaction was related to lower education at the ages of 32 and 42. Also, men with lower education were more likely to maintain a less positive body image over the life course. In women, increasing body dissatisfaction during the life course was associated with lower education.

CONCLUSIONS

Differences in body dissatisfaction based on educational level are important to take into account in public health actions aiming to reduce socioeconomic inequalities in health and well-being.

Stress-induced eating and drinking and their associations with weight among women and men during 30-year follow-up

BACKGROUND

Stress is associated with obesity through several mechanisms, including coping methods used in stressful situations. However, long-term prospective studies investigating stress-induced eating and drinking in parallel and their relationships with weight are scarce.

PURPOSE

We examined the prevalence of stress-induced eating and drinking and their associations with body mass index (BMI) among women and men during a 30-year follow-up, as well as BMI trajectories from early adulthood to middle age.

METHODS

Participants of a Finnish cohort study were followed by questionnaires at the ages of 22 (N = 1656), 32 (N = 1471), 42 (N = 1334), and 52 (N = 1160). Their coping methods were evaluated by asking how common it was for them to act in certain ways when they encountered stressful situations. We used linear regression analysis to examine the associations between coping methods and BMI, and latent growth models to analyze the BMI trajectories.

RESULTS

The prevalence of stress-induced eating was higher among women than men throughout the follow-up, whereas stress-induced drinking was more common among men at 22 and 32 years of age. Stress-induced eating was associated with higher BMI at all ages among women, and from the age of 32 among men. Eating as a persistent coping method over the life course was associated with a higher and faster growth rate of BMI trajectories. Stress-induced drinking was associated with higher BMI in middle age, and with a faster growth of BMI among men.

CONCLUSIONS

Effective, appropriate stress management may be one essential factor in preventing weight gain in the adult population.

Immunomodulatory Role of CB2 Receptors in Emotional and Cognitive Disorders

Emotional behavior, memory, and learning have been associated with alterations in the immune system in neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. In recent years, several studies pointed out the involvement of the cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2r) in the immune system and the regulation of inflammation. This receptor is widely distributed in different tissues and organs with higher expression in spleen and immune system cells. However, CB2r has also been detected in several brain areas and different brain cell types, such as neurons and glia. These findings suggest that CB2r may closely relate the immune system and the brain circuits regulating inflammation, mood, and cognitive functions. Therefore, we review the studies that may help elucidate the molecular bases of CB2r in regulating inflammation in different brain cells and its role in the pathophysiology of psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders.