1
|
Rodrigues KL, Scaranni PDODS, Pereira ENGDS, da Silva VVD, Silvares RR, de Araujo BP, Castilho C, Schmidt MI, da Fonseca MDJM, Griep RH, Daliry A. Hair cortisol levels are associated with overweight and obesity in the ELSA-Brasil cohort. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1361715. [PMID: 38654925 PMCID: PMC11035765 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1361715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Hair cortisol level has recently been identified as a promising marker for detecting long-term cortisol levels and a marker of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal cortex (HPA) axis activity. However, research on the association between obesity and an altered cortisol metabolism remains controversial. Objective This study aimed to investigate the relationship between hair cortisol levels and overweight and obesity in participants from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil). Methods This was a cross-sectional study involving 2,499 participants from the second follow-up (visit 3, 2017-2019) attending research centers in Rio de Janeiro and Rio Grande do Sul states. Hair samples were collected, and cortisol levels were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Cortisol levels were classified as low (< 40 pg/mg), medium (40-128 pg/mg), or high (> 128 pg/mg). The participants were classified as eutrophic, overweight, or obese according to their weight (kg) and height (m2). Odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were estimated. Results Of the 2499 individuals, 30% had eutrophic weight, 40% were overweight, and 30% were obese. Notably, cortisol levels gradually increased with increasing body weight. Among participants with high hair cortisol levels, 41.2% were classified as overweight and 34.2% as obese. Multinomial logistic regression analysis indicated that participants with high cortisol levels were 43% (OR =1.43; 95%CI: 1.02-2.03) more likely to be overweight and 72% (OR =1.72; 95%CI:1.20-2.47) more likely to be obese than participants with low hair cortisol levels. After adjustment for all covariates, high cortisol levels remained associated with obesity (OR = 1.54; 95%CI:1.02-2.31) and overweight (OR =1.33; 95%CI:0.91-1.94). Conclusion In the ELSA-Brazil cohort, hair stress were positively associated with overweight and obesity. These results underscore the importance of considering stress and cortisol as potential factors in obesity prevention and intervention efforts, and highlight a novel aspect of the complex relationship between stress and obesity in the Brazilian population.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karine Lino Rodrigues
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Physiopathology, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Raquel Rangel Silvares
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Physiopathology, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Beatriz Peres de Araujo
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Physiopathology, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Cristina Castilho
- Department of Public Health, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Maria Inês Schmidt
- Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | | | - Rosane Harter Griep
- Laboratory of Environmental and Health Education, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Anissa Daliry
- Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Physiopathology, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kitani RA, Nicolaides NC, Mantzou A, Chatzidaki E, Michou M, Polychronaki N, Letsou K, Pervanidou P, Kanaka-Gantenbein C. Differences in segmental hair cortisol concentration analysis among children and adolescents with overweight and obesity, their parents, and normal weight peers. Hormones (Athens) 2023; 22:623-632. [PMID: 37688736 DOI: 10.1007/s42000-023-00482-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Dysregulation of the stress system via incidental long exposure to glucocorticoids (GCs) can lead to weight gain. In addition, family and maternal stress can also have an impact on children's weight. Hair is used in several studies to evaluate cortisol (GC) levels in children and adolescents with excess weight as a retrospective stress biomarker, depending on the hair length the cortisol measurement depicting different time periods. We aimed to investigate whether there is a difference among segmental hair cortisol concentration (HCC) analysis between children and adolescents with overweight and obesity, their mothers, and normal weight peers. METHODS This study recruited 25 children aged 6-14 years with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 85th centile and their mothers, as well as 20 children of the same age with a BMI < 85th centile. Hair cortisol concentration was measured using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. RESULTS Segmental HCC analysis exhibited gradually decreasing values in all participants as segments of hair were more distantly located from the scalp. A positive correlation was found between BMI z-score and HCC of the first segment of hair in children and adolescents with elevated BMI (b = 1.84, p = 0.033), as well as with maternal HCC / of an only child (b = 15.77, p = 0.01). There were no associations between mother-child dyads and children and adolescents of different BMI groups, even though minors with excess weight exhibited higher HCC levels in all segments of hair in comparison to their normal weight counterparts. CONCLUSIONS Hair cortisol of all participants exhibited a gradually declining concentration. More studies with larger samples and more sensitive methods of analysis are warranted in order to draw firmer conclusions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rosa-Anna Kitani
- Postgraduate Course on "The Science of Stress and Health Promotion", Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thivon and Levadias str, 11527, Athens, Greece.
| | - Nicolas C Nicolaides
- Postgraduate Course on "The Science of Stress and Health Promotion", Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thivon and Levadias str, 11527, Athens, Greece
- First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Aimilia Mantzou
- First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Evi Chatzidaki
- First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Maria Michou
- Postgraduate Course on "The Science of Stress and Health Promotion", Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thivon and Levadias str, 11527, Athens, Greece
- Human Ecology Laboratory, Department of Economics and Sustainable Development, Harokopio University, 17671, Athens, Greece
| | - Nektaria Polychronaki
- First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Konstantina Letsou
- Postgraduate Course on "The Science of Stress and Health Promotion", Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thivon and Levadias str, 11527, Athens, Greece
| | - Panagiota Pervanidou
- Postgraduate Course on "The Science of Stress and Health Promotion", Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thivon and Levadias str, 11527, Athens, Greece
- First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
| | - Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein
- Postgraduate Course on "The Science of Stress and Health Promotion", Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thivon and Levadias str, 11527, Athens, Greece
- First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, "Aghia Sophia" Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Psychiatric Disorders and Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence-A Systematic Review of Cross-Sectional Studies. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:children10020285. [PMID: 36832413 PMCID: PMC9955505 DOI: 10.3390/children10020285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Obesity and psychiatric disorders have high prevalence and are both considered major health problems. Within the last decades, the rates of obesity have risen over 6%, while the prevalence of psychiatric disorders is over 12% for children and adolescents. The aim of this study was to systematically review the evidence regarding the relation of obesity and psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence. This review, based on the PRISMA guidelines, included cross-sectional studies published within the last decade, pertaining to the relation between psychiatric disorders and obesity in children and adolescents up to the age of 19 years. Studies on eating disorders were excluded. A total of 14 studies of 23,442 children and adolescents that investigated the relation of obesity with anxiety, mood disorders, and psychosis were included in this systematic review. Nine of the included studies reported a significant relationship between the psychiatric disorder under investigation and obesity. Understanding the nexus between obesity and psychiatric disorders in children and adolescents is of great importance, given the alarming increase in both conditions in youth. Such findings could facilitate the development and implementation of targeted interventions.
Collapse
|
4
|
Rodríguez-Rabassa M, Torres-Marrero E, López P, Muniz-Rodriguez K, Borges-Rodríguez M, Appleton AA, Avilés-Santa L, Alvarado-Domenech LI. Stressors and Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Vulnerable Hispanic Caregivers and Children. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 20:1838. [PMID: 36767218 PMCID: PMC9914744 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20031838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Psychological sequelae are important elements of the burden of disease among caregivers. Recognition of the impact of adversity and stress biomarkers is important to prevent mental health problems that affect rearing practices and child well-being. This cross-sectional study explored social determinants of health (SDoH)-mediated stressors during COVID-19 and risks for mental health problems among caregivers of children with prenatal Zika virus exposure. Twenty-five Hispanic caregivers completed surveys assessing SDoH vulnerabilities, COVID-exposures and impact, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology, and provided a hair sample for cortisol concentration (HCC). Most caregivers had low education, household income < $15,000/year, and were unemployed. Stressors included disrupted child education and specialized services, and food insecurity. While most reported PTSD symptomatology, multivariate linear regression models adjusted for the caregiver's age, education, and the child's sex, revealed that caregivers with high symptomatology had significantly lower HCC than those with low symptomatology and those with food insecurity had significantly higher HCC than participants without food insecurity. The impact of COVID-19 on daily life was characterized on average between worse and better, suggesting variability in susceptibility and coping mechanisms, with the most resilient identifying community support and spirituality resources. SDoH-mediators provide opportunities to prevent adverse mental health outcomes for caregivers and their children.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mary Rodríguez-Rabassa
- Clinical Psychology Program, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, PR 00732, USA
- RCMI Center for Research Resources, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, PR 00732, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, PR 00732, USA
| | - Estefanía Torres-Marrero
- Clinical Psychology Program, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, PR 00732, USA
| | - Pablo López
- RCMI Center for Research Resources, Ponce Health Sciences University, P.O. Box 7004, Ponce, PR 00732, USA
| | | | | | - Allison A. Appleton
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University at Albany School of Public Health, State University of New York, 1 University Place, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA
| | - Larissa Avilés-Santa
- Division of Clinical and Health Services Research, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities, 6707 Democracy Blvd. Suite 800, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
5
|
Michaud DS, Thomson EM, van Oosterhout P, McNamee JP. Hair cortisol as a viable tool for the assessment of an association between environmental noise exposure and chronic stress. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2022; 152:866. [PMID: 36050175 DOI: 10.1121/10.0012887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Entrenched in the well-established link between stress and health, noise exposure as a potential contributor to stress-related health effects receives tremendous attention. Indeed, exposure to noise can act as a stressor as evidenced through increased heart rate, blood pressure, adrenaline, epinephrine, and cortisol. Cortisol is secreted from the adrenal glands in response to stressor-induced activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. For assessment of environmental noise and stress, repeated sampling in blood, saliva, or urine is necessary to evaluate the association between environmental noise exposure and protracted changes in cortisol. Controlling for the many variables that influence the secretion of cortisol at discrete sampling intervals is challenging. Studies suggest that systemically produced cortisol integrates and remains in hair as it grows, providing a measure that integrates a cortisol response over a longer period, circumventing several limitations associated with multiple sampling. Robust evidence supports the integration of cortisol into hair, yet recent studies call into question the notion that cortisol is retained with growth. The current paper discusses the strengths and limitations of hair cortisol analysis with an emphasis on its utility as a measure of chronic stress in environmental noise studies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David S Michaud
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| | - Errol M Thomson
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Environmental Health Science and Research Bureau, 251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway, Tunney's Pasture, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0K9, Canada
| | - Priya van Oosterhout
- Department of Neuroscience, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - James P McNamee
- Health Canada, Environmental and Radiation Health Sciences Directorate, Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau, 775 Brookfield Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1C1, Canada
| |
Collapse
|