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Childhood urbanicity and hair steroid hormone levels in ten-year-old children.
- Source :
-
Psychoneuroendocrinology [Psychoneuroendocrinology] 2019 Apr; Vol. 102, pp. 53-57. Date of Electronic Publication: 2018 Nov 29. - Publication Year :
- 2019
-
Abstract
- Background: Research suggests that it may be more stressful for children to grow up in an urban area than in a rural area. Urbanicity may affect physiological stress system functioning as well as the timing of sexual maturation. The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether moderate urbanicity (current and childhood, ranging from rural areas to small cities) was associated with indices of long-term hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis functioning (cortisol, cortisone, dehydroepiandrosterone and progesterone levels) and whether sex moderated any associations.<br />Method: Children (Nā=ā92) were all 10 years old and from the Dutch general population. Hair samples were collected and single segments (the three cm most proximal to the scalp) were assayed for concentrations of steroid hormones (LCMS/MS method). Neighborhood-level urbanicity and socioeconomic status were measured from birth through age ten years. Analyses were controlled for neighborhood- and family socioeconomic status, body mass index and season of sampling.<br />Results: The results from multivariate analyses of variance showed no associations between current or childhood moderate urbanicity and hair steroid hormone concentrations. Interaction terms between moderate urbanicity and sex were not statistically significant.<br />Conclusions: Associations between urbanicity and steroid hormone levels may only be detectable in highly urban areas and/or during later stages of adolescence. Alternatively, our findings may have been due to most children being from families with a higher socioeconomic status.<br /> (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Subjects :
- Child
Cortisone analysis
Dehydroepiandrosterone analysis
Female
Hair chemistry
Humans
Hydrocortisone analysis
Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System metabolism
Male
Netherlands
Pituitary-Adrenal System metabolism
Progesterone analysis
Residence Characteristics
Rural Population
Social Class
Surveys and Questionnaires
Stress, Psychological metabolism
Urban Population statistics & numerical data
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1873-3360
- Volume :
- 102
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Psychoneuroendocrinology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 30513500
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.11.039