Abstract
Chronic biological stress may adversely affect adolescents' physical and mental health, but insight in the personal and environmental factors that determine chronic stress is limited. We measured 3-month cumulative hair cortisol concentration (HCC) in 419 adolescents, participating in the Flemish Environment and Health Study. Adolescents' health and lifestyle characteristics, household and neighborhood socio-economic status as well as neighborhood urbanicity were assessed as potential determinants of HCC, using multiple linear regression models. We additionally explored heterogeneity of our results by sex. HCC were significantly higher in boys from densely populated neighborhoods, the association was not significant in girls. Accordingly, boys living outside cities had significantly lower HCC than boys, living in cities. HCC was significantly lower in adolescents with an optimal vitality, a measure of a positive mental health status. In adolescent girls, menarcheal status (pre-/postmenarche) was a significant determinant of HCC. Our findings are the first to suggest that residential urbanicity may have an impact on chronic biological stress in a general population of adolescent boys.
Highlights
Adolescence is characterized by many physical, emotional, social and cognitive challenges (1)
We found similar significant differences by sex for the association of neighborhood population density with hair cortisol concentration (HCC) (p-interaction = 0.022), with significantly higher HCC for boys from densely populated neighborhoods [p = 0.003, β = 1.39], but no significant difference in HCC by population density was found for girls [p = 0.989, β = 1.00]
We explored potential determinants of chronic biological stress in a general population of Flemish adolescents, using hair cortisol concentrations as a novel objective biomarker of chronic stress
Summary
Adolescence is characterized by many physical, emotional, social and cognitive challenges (1). Chronic biological stress during this vulnerable developmental period may have longlasting implications for physical and mental health (2, 3). The hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, with the hormone cortisol as its main effector, is a crucial biological stress response system (4). Acute and transient activation of the HPA axis facilitates effective coping with stressors (5). Chronic HPA axis activation may lead to long-term physiological alterations and has been associated with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, cognitive disorders and depression (4, 6). A good insight in the factors that determine chronic HPA axis activation and cortisol secretion in adolescents is important, these factors are not yet fully established (7)
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