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Arregi A, Vegas O, Lertxundi A, García-Baquero G, Ibarluzea J, Andiarena A, Babarro I, Subiza-Pérez M, Lertxundi N. Hair cortisol determinants in 11-year-old children: Environmental, social and individual factors. Horm Behav 2024; 164:105575. [PMID: 38851169 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2024.105575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Children's exposure to chronic stress is associated with several health problems. Measuring hair cortisol concentration is particularly useful for studying chronic stress but much is unknown about hair cortisol determinants in children and adolescents, and previous research has often not considered the simultaneous exposure of multiple variables. This research is focused on investigating the relationship between environmental, social and individual factors with hair cortisol concentration in children. METHODS The data used in this study are from the INMA prospective epidemiological cohort study. The assessment of chronic stress was made on the basis of hair samples taken at the age of 11 years in the INMA-Gipuzkoa cohort (n = 346). A metamodel summarizing the hypothesized relationships among environmental, social and individual factors and hair cortisol concentration was constructed based on previous literature. Structural Equation Modelling was performed to examine the relationships among the variables. RESULTS In the general model higher behavioural problems were associated with higher cortisol levels and an inverse relationship between environmental noise and cortisol levels was observed, explaining 5 % of the variance in HCC. Once stratified by sex these associations were only hold in boys, while no significant effect of any of the study variables was related with cortisol levels in girls. Importantly, maternal stress was positively related to behavioural difficulties in children. Finally, higher traffic-related air pollution and lower exposure to neighborhood greenness were related to higher environmental noise. DISCUSSION This study highlights that simultaneous exposure to different environmental, social and individual characteristics may determine the concentration of hair cortisol. More research is needed and future studies should include this complex view to better understanding of hair cortisol determinants in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ane Arregi
- Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20008 San Sebastian, Spain; Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain.
| | - Oscar Vegas
- Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20008 San Sebastian, Spain; Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Aitana Lertxundi
- Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 48940 Leioa, Spain
| | - Gonzalo García-Baquero
- Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain; Faculty of Biology, University of Salamanca, Campus Miguel de Unamuno, Avda Licenciado Méndez Nieto s/n, 37007 Salamanca, Spain
| | - Jesus Ibarluzea
- Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20008 San Sebastian, Spain; Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Ministry of Health of the Basque Government, Sub-Directorate for Public Health and Addictions of Gipuzkoa, 20013 San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Ainara Andiarena
- Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20008 San Sebastian, Spain; Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Izaro Babarro
- Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain; Faculty of Medicine and Nursing of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20014 Donostia/San Sebastian, Spain
| | - Mikel Subiza-Pérez
- Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20008 San Sebastian, Spain; Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain; Bradford Institute for Health Research, Bradford BD9 6RJ, UK
| | - Nerea Lertxundi
- Faculty of Psychology, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), 20008 San Sebastian, Spain; Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group, Biogipuzkoa Health Research Institute, Paseo Doctor Begiristain s/n, 20014 San Sebastian, Spain; Spanish Consortium for Research on Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, C/Monforte de Lemos 3-5, 28029 Madrid, Spain
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Dzhambov AM, Lercher P, Botteldooren D. Childhood sound disturbance and sleep problems in Alpine valleys with high levels of traffic exposures and greenspace. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 242:117642. [PMID: 37996006 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Sound disturbance and sleep problems are regarded as the most common adverse effects of environmental noise but evidence of the role of air pollution and greenspace is scant. This is especially true for children who find themselves in a sensitive developmental period and experience their environment differently than adults. This study examined the joint effects of traffic exposures and residential greenspace on child sound disturbance and sleep problems via perceptions of neighborhood quality. We used cross-sectional data for 1251 schoolchildren (8-12 years) in the Tyrol region of Austria/Italy. Questionnaires provided information on sociodemographic and housing factors, perceived neighborhood quality, sound disturbance in different situations, and sleep problems. Modelled acoustic indicators included day-evening-night sound levels and the highest percentile level, and night-time sound level and a bespoke sleep disturbance index. Nitrogen dioxide served as a proxy for traffic-related air pollution. The normalized difference vegetation index was calculated as a measure of residential greenspace, and presence of a domestic garden was self-reported. Results showed that higher level of traffic-related exposures was positively associated with sound disturbance and sleep problems, while living in a greener area, especially in a house with a garden, was associated with lower sound disturbance and less sleep problems even in the presence of traffic. Traffic exposures contributed to more unfavorable, and greenspace to more positive perceptions in terms of traffic-related stressors, opportunities for outdoor recreation, and general satisfaction with the neighborhood. This indirect path seemed more important for greenspace than for traffic exposures. In conclusion, it seems advantageous to combine traffic-related mitigation with improving access to greenspace in interventions for supporting the acoustic comfort of children during day and nighttime. Even highly nature-dominated environments could still benefit from proximal green infrastructure, especially from domestic gardens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angel M Dzhambov
- Environmental Health Division, Research Institute at Medical University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Institute of Highway Engineering and Transport Planning, Graz University of Technology, Austria; Research Group "Health and Quality of Life in a Green and Sustainable Environment", Strategic Research and Innovation Program for the Development of MU - Plovdiv, Medical University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria; Department of Hygiene, Faculty of Public Health, Medical University of Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
| | - Peter Lercher
- Institute of Highway Engineering and Transport Planning, Graz University of Technology, Austria
| | - Dick Botteldooren
- Department of Information Technology, Research Group WAVES, Ghent University, Belgium
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