Neighborhood socioeconomic status during childhood versus puberty in relation to endogenous sex hormone levels in adult women.
BACKGROUND
Socioeconomic adversity in early life is related to cardiovascular risk in adulthood; however, no studies have examined whether such adversity may be related to endogenous sex hormones, which are themselves associated with cardiovascular outcomes, or whether the timing of adversity exposures (childhood vs. puberty) matters.


OBJECTIVE
The goal of the current study was to separately examine neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) during periods of childhood and puberty in relation to adulthood levels of endogenous sex hormones (estradiol [E2], testosterone), sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), and a derived index of bioavailable testosterone (free androgen index).


METHODS
In a sample of 143 premenopausal women (mean age = 36.8 [SD = 5.5]; 51.7% White, 32.2% African American, 5.6% Latina, 7.0% Chinese, and 3.5% Filipina), retrospective reports of residential address information in designated periods of childhood and puberty were used to derive U.S. census-based neighborhood SES composite scores characterizing the socioeconomic environments of women during these periods.


RESULTS
In covariate-adjusted analyses, higher neighborhood SES in puberty predicted higher levels of SHBG in adulthood, but neighborhood SES during childhood did not (standardized regression coefficient = .24, p = .01 vs. standardized regression coefficient = .04, p = .75, respectively). Neighborhood SES was not predictive of other hormones (E2, testosterone, and free androgen index).


CONCLUSIONS
The current findings suggest that puberty may be a time of particular vulnerability to the effects of neighborhood SES on SHBG levels, which have been linked to cardiovascular risk factor profiles and atherosclerotic disease progression.
Maria E. Bleil, PhD, is Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Child Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle. Bradley M. Appelhans, PhD, is Associate Professor, Department of Preventive Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois. Melissa D. Latham, BA, is Research Associate; and Michelle A. Irving, BA, is Research Associate, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco. Steven E. Gregorich, PhD, is Professor, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco. Nancy E. Adler, PhD, is Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco. Marcelle I. Cedars, MD, is Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco.
Maria E
ME
Bleil
Bradley M
BM
Appelhans
Melissa D
MD
Latham
Michelle A
MA
Irving
Steven E
SE
Gregorich
Nancy E
NE
Adler
Marcelle I
MI
Cedars
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty; D011627:Puberty; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012923:Social Class
D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D012738:Sex Hormone-Binding Globulin