title: Associations between stress biology indicators and overweight across toddlerhood.
abstract: Biological stress responses are proposed as a pathway through which stress exposure can "get under the skin" and lead to health problems, specifically obesity. Yet, it is not clear when such associations may emerge or whether they are bidirectional. Cortisol and salivary alpha amylase (sAA) were considered indicators of the biological stress response. We tested the longitudinal association between cortisol and sAA and weight in 215 low-income children at ages 21, 27, and 33 months (52% male; 46% non-Hispanic white). sAA and cortisol intercept and slope (representing morning level and rate of change across the day) were calculated for each age point using random effect models. Children were weighed and length measured and categorized as overweight versus normal weight (overweight defined as weight-for-length z-score ≥85th percentile for age and sex). Cross-lagged models stratified by sex and controlling for birthweight z-score tested the concurrent and cross-lagged associations between each of 4 indices of stress biology individually (cortisol and sAA intercept and slope) and overweight. Overweight status was correlated across time. Cortisol and sAA were correlated across occasions of measurement, though somewhat less strongly in boys. There were no concurrent associations between stress indicators and overweight. sAA at 27 months predicted greater risk of overweight at 33 months in girls, such that both lower sAA intercept and more rapidly increasing sAA at 27 months predicted greater risk of overweight at 33 months (β=-0.64, p<0.05 and β=1.09, p<0.05, respectively). For boys only, overweight at 21 months predicted lower sAA intercept at 27 months (β=-0.35, p<0.05). Findings suggest that longitudinal associations of stress biology and weight status may be present only on a limited basis very early in the lifespan.
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, United States; Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health,United States. Electronic address: alimill@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Alison L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, United States; Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, United States.
authors.forename: Niko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kaciroti
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, United States.
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sturza
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, United States.
authors.forename: Lauren
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Retzloff
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School, United States.
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rosenblum
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, United States; Department of Biostatistics, University of Michigan School of Public Health, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, United States.
authors.forename: Delia M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Vazquez
authors.affiliation: Center for Human Growth and Development, University of Michigan, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, United States; Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Michigan School of Public Health, United States.
authors.forename: Julie C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Lumeng
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D050177:Overweight / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases / Q000032:analysis*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D055291:Salivary alpha-Amylases; D006854:Hydrocortisone
keywords: Child; Cortisol; Low-income; Obesity; Salivary alpha-amylase (sAA); Stress