title: The association between childhood stress and body composition, and the role of stress-related lifestyle factors--cross-sectional findings from the baseline ChiBSD survey.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Stress has been hypothesised to be involved in obesity development, also in children. More research is needed into the role of lifestyle factors in this association.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study investigates the cross-sectional relationship between stress and body composition and, more importantly, the possible moderating or mediating role of lifestyle factors.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 355 Belgian children (5-10 years old) participating in the baseline 'Children's Body composition and Stress' survey were included in this study. The following variables were studied: psychosocial stress (i.e. stressful events, emotions and behavioural/emotional problems, salivary cortisol), stress-related lifestyle factors (high-caloric snack consumption frequency, screen exposure time and sleep duration) and body composition parameters [BMI z-score, waist to height ratio (WHtR)]. Using linear regression analyses (adjusted for sex, age and socio-economic status), the relation between stress and body composition and, more importantly, the possible moderating or mediating role of lifestyle factors was tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No association was observed between body composition and negative emotions, conduct and emotional problems and salivary cortisol. However, negative life events were positively and happiness was negatively associated with BMI z-score and WHtR. Peer problems and WHtR were positively associated in girls only. These associations were not significantly reduced after correction for lifestyle factors. Nevertheless, all lifestyle parameters moderated one or more stress-body composition associations, resulting in even more significant relations after subgroup analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Childhood stress was positively related to both overall and central adiposity measures with lifestyle factors acting as moderators but not as mediators. Thus, lifestyle could be a vulnerability factor in stress-induced adiposity, creating a perspective for multi-factorial obesity prevention, targeting stress and lifestyle factors in parallel.
authors: Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ghent University, University Hospital, Block A, 2nd floor, De Pintelaan 185, 9000, Ghent, Belgium, barbara.vanaelst@ugent.be.
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Vanaelst
authors: Nathalie
authors: N
authors: Michels
authors: Els
authors: E
authors: Clays
authors: Diana
authors: D
authors: Herrmann
authors: Inge
authors: I
authors: Huybrechts
authors: Isabelle
authors: I
authors: Sioen
authors: Krishna
authors: K
authors: Vyncke
authors: Stefaan
authors: S
authors: De Henauw
mesh_terms: D001530:Belgium; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001823:Body Composition / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006240:Happiness; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000209:etiology; D012044:Regression Analysis; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D006854:Hydrocortisone
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