Association between Hair Cortisol Concentration and Adiposity Measures among Children and Parents from the "Healthy Start" Study.
BACKGROUND
Previous studies have suggested a direct association between hair cortisol concentration (HCC) and Body Mass Index (BMI), as well as other adiposity measures. However, these studies have mostly been conducted among adult populations.


OBJECTIVE
To examine the association between HCC and different measures of adiposity among a selected group of children predisposed to obesity and their parents.


METHODS
We conducted a cross-sectional study based on 363 children and their parents (301 mothers and 231 fathers) participating in the "Healthy Start" study. Linear regression analysis was used to investigate associations between HCC and adiposity measures while taking into account possible confounding factors. Analyses were performed examining the association between HCC and BMI, fat mass and fat free mass index Z-scores, as well as waist circumference and waist-hip ratio among the children. Likewise, the association between HCC and BMI among the parents was explored. Finally, we examined the association between parental HCC and children's adiposity measures.


RESULTS
HCC was directly associated with a higher BMI among the fathers (0.49 kg/m2 [95% CI: 0.09, 0.90, P = 0.02] per 100 pg/mg) and the mothers (0.93 kg/m2 [95% CI: 0.24, 1.61, P = 0.01] per 100 pg/mg). We found no clear evidence of an association between HCC and adiposity measures among children. However, a high maternal HCC was associated with a high fat mass index and low fat free mass index z-score in the offspring (0.14 SD [95% CI: 0.02, 0.26, P = 0.02] and -0.17 SD [95% CI: -0.30, -0.05, P = 0.01] per 100 pg/mg, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Our study found no evidence of an association between HCC and measures of adiposity among children predisposed to obesity. However, HCC may be directly associated with BMI among men and women, and maternal HCC may be related to a higher fat mass and a lower fat free mass among their children.
Research Unit for Dietary Studies at The Parker Institute and Institute of Preventive Medicine, The Capital Region, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Sofus C
SC
Larsen
Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Bispebjerg Hospital, DK-2400, Copenhagen NV, Denmark.
Jan
J
Fahrenkrug
Research Unit for Dietary Studies at The Parker Institute and Institute of Preventive Medicine, The Capital Region, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Nanna J
NJ
Olsen
Research Unit for Dietary Studies at The Parker Institute and Institute of Preventive Medicine, The Capital Region, Copenhagen, Denmark.|The National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark.|The Boden Institute of Obesity, Nutrition, Exercise & Eating Disorders, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.|Department of Public Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Berit L
BL
Heitmann
BMC Pediatr. 2014 Oct 01;14:244
25270356
BMC Pediatr. 2015 Feb 15;15:9
25886364
Obes Rev. 2001 May;2(2):73-86
12119665
PLoS One. 2013 Nov 08;8(11):e78974
24250821
Am J Health Promot. 2002 Mar-Apr;16(4):206-19
11913326
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2005 Jun;30(5):483-95
15721059
BMC Public Health. 2012 Aug 01;12:590
22852799
Acta Paediatr. 2010 Aug;99(8):1205-12
20222879
World Health Organ Tech Rep Ser. 2000;894:i-xii, 1-253
11234459
Nature. 2006 Dec 14;444(7121):860-7
17167474
Acta Paediatr. 2014 Mar;103(3):295-9
24205857
Horm Metab Res. 2009 Apr;41(4):261-70
19156597
Exp Clin Endocrinol Diabetes. 2010 Feb;118(2):133-8
19609841
Steroids. 2011 Sep-Oct;76(10-11):1032-6
21515299
Obesity (Silver Spring). 2011 Apr;19(4):771-8
20948519
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2009 Jan;34(1):32-7
18947933
Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 2001 Feb;25(2):177-84
11410817
Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2009 Oct;16(5):340-6
19584720
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Nov;96(11):E1862-5
21880805
Pediatrics. 2012 Nov;130(5):e1096-104
23090343
Stress. 2008 Nov;11(6):483-8
18609301
Ann Epidemiol. 2013 Dec;23(12):797-811.e2
24184029
Biol Psychol. 2012 Jul;90(3):218-23
22476032
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2010 May;35(4):607-12
19828258
BMC Public Health. 2011 Jun 10;11:461
21663605
Lancet. 2012 Jul 21;380(9838):258-71
22818938
Stress. 2012 Nov;15(6):578-88
22356099
Am J Clin Nutr. 1996 Mar;63(3):299-305
8602584
J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014 Jan;99(1):285-90
24384019
Mediators Inflamm. 2010;2010:null
20706689