Markus Gerber1, Katharina Endes2, Serge Brand3, Christian Herrmann2, Flora Colledge2, Lars Donath2, Oliver Faude2, Uwe Pühse2, Henner Hanssen2, Lukas Zahner2. 1. Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Switzerland. Electronic address: markus.gerber@unibas.ch. 2. Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Switzerland. 3. Department of Sport, Exercise and Health, University of Basel, Switzerland; Psychiatric Clinics of the University of Basel, Center for Affective, Stress and Sleep Disorders, Switzerland.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Hair cortisol measurement has become an increasingly accepted approach in endocrinology and biopsychology. However, while in adult research hair cortisol has been proposed as a relevant biomarker for chronic stress (and its adverse consequences), studies with children are scarce. Therefore, the goal of the present exploratory study was to examine the associations between hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs), stress, and a series of health-related outcomes in a sample of Swiss first grade schoolchildren. METHODS: The sample consisted of 318 children (53% girls, Mage=7.26, SD=0.35). Hair strands were taken near the scalp from a posterior vertex position, and HCCs were tested for the first 3-cm hair segment. Parents provided information about their children's age, gender, parental education, children's stress (recent critical life events, daily hassles), health-related quality of life, and psychosomatic complaints. Body composition, blood pressure, retinal vessel diameters, and cardiorespiratory fitness were measured with established methods. RESULTS: In multiple regression analyses, higher HCCs were weakly associated with increased BMI in girls (β=0.22, p<0.001), whereas higher HCCs were associated with increased somatic complaints in boys (β=0.20, p<0.05). No significant relationships were found between HCCs and parental reports of stress, health-related quality of life, blood pressure, retinal vessel diameters, and cardiorespiratory fitness. CONCLUSIONS: Although small significant relationships were found between HCCs, BMI and somatic complaints, the findings of this exploratory study challenge the view that HCCs can be used as a reliable biomarker of recent critical life events, daily hassles, health-related quality of life, and cardiovascular health indicators in non-clinical young children.
OBJECTIVES: Hair cortisol measurement has become an increasingly accepted approach in endocrinology and biopsychology. However, while in adult research hair cortisol has been proposed as a relevant biomarker for chronic stress (and its adverse consequences), studies with children are scarce. Therefore, the goal of the present exploratory study was to examine the associations between hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs), stress, and a series of health-related outcomes in a sample of Swiss first grade schoolchildren. METHODS: The sample consisted of 318 children (53% girls, Mage=7.26, SD=0.35). Hair strands were taken near the scalp from a posterior vertex position, and HCCs were tested for the first 3-cm hair segment. Parents provided information about their children's age, gender, parental education, children's stress (recent critical life events, daily hassles), health-related quality of life, and psychosomatic complaints. Body composition, blood pressure, retinal vessel diameters, and cardiorespiratory fitness were measured with established methods. RESULTS: In multiple regression analyses, higher HCCs were weakly associated with increased BMI in girls (β=0.22, p<0.001), whereas higher HCCs were associated with increased somatic complaints in boys (β=0.20, p<0.05). No significant relationships were found between HCCs and parental reports of stress, health-related quality of life, blood pressure, retinal vessel diameters, and cardiorespiratory fitness. CONCLUSIONS: Although small significant relationships were found between HCCs, BMI and somatic complaints, the findings of this exploratory study challenge the view that HCCs can be used as a reliable biomarker of recent critical life events, daily hassles, health-related quality of life, and cardiovascular health indicators in non-clinical young children.
Authors: David Watson; Holly F Levin-Aspenson; Monika A Waszczuk; Christopher C Conway; Tim Dalgleish; Michael N Dretsch; Nicholas R Eaton; Miriam K Forbes; Kelsie T Forbush; Kelsey A Hobbs; Giorgia Michelini; Brady D Nelson; Martin Sellbom; Tim Slade; Susan C South; Matthew Sunderland; Irwin Waldman; Michael Witthöft; Aidan G C Wright; Roman Kotov; Robert F Krueger Journal: World Psychiatry Date: 2022-02 Impact factor: 79.683
Authors: Vicente Prado-Gascó; Usue de la Barrera; Sandra Sancho-Castillo; José Enrique de la Rubia-Ortí; Inmaculada Montoya-Castilla Journal: PLoS One Date: 2019-04-04 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Sofus C Larsen; Jeanett F Rohde; Nanna J Olsen; Mina N Händel; Maria Stougaard; Jan Fahrenkrug; Berit L Heitmann Journal: PLoS One Date: 2019-03-08 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Marcela Lopez; Monica O Ruiz; Cynthia R Rovnaghi; Grace K-Y Tam; Jitka Hiscox; Ian H Gotlib; Donald A Barr; Victor G Carrion; Kanwaljeet J S Anand Journal: Pediatr Res Date: 2021-01-18 Impact factor: 3.756
Authors: Cristina Cadenas-Sanchez; Alejandra Mena-Molina; Lucia V Torres-Lopez; Jairo H Migueles; María Rodriguez-Ayllon; David R Lubans; Francisco B Ortega Journal: Sports Med Date: 2021-07-27 Impact factor: 11.136