Hair Cortisol Concentrations Research Articles

Prevalence of burnout and its relation to the neuroendocrine system among pediatric residents during the early Covid-19 pandemic: A pilot feasibility study

BackgroundMeasuring burnout relies on infrequent and subjective surveys, which often do not reflect the underlying factors or biological mechanisms that promote or prevent it. Burnout correlates with cortisol levels and dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, but the chronology and strength of this relationship are unknown. ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence and feasibility of studying burnout in pediatric residents using hair cortisol and hair oxytocin concentrations. Design/Methods: Longitudinal observational cohort study of pediatric residents. We assessed burnout using the Stanford Professional Fulfillment Index and hair cortisol (HCC), and hair oxytocin concentrations (HOC) at four 3-month intervals from January 2020–January 2021. We evaluated test-retest reliability, sensitivity to change using Pearson product-moment correlations, and relationships between burnout and hair biomarkers using hierarchical mixed-effects linear regression. Results17 Pediatrics residents provided 78 wellness surveys and 54 hair samples. Burnout symptoms were present in 39 (50%) of the surveys, with 14 (82%) residents reporting burnout in at least one time point. The lowest (41%) and highest (60%) burnout prevalence occurred in 04/2020 and 01/2021, respectively. No significant associations between burnout scores and HCC (β −0.01, 95%CI: 0.14–0.13), HOC (β 0.06, 95%CI: 0.06–0.19), or the HCC:HOC ratio (β −0.04, 95%CI: 0.09–0.02) were noted in separate analyses. Intra-individual changes in hair cortisol concentration were not associated with changes in burnout score. ConclusionsBurnout was prevalent among Pediatrics residents, with highest prevalence noted in January 2021. This pilot longitudinal study demonstrates the feasibility of evaluating burnout with stress and resilience biomarkers in Pediatrics residents.

P131 Is stress associated with subclinical inflammation in Ulcerative Colitis? A population-based cross-sectional cohort study in southeastern Sweden

Abstract Background Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an immune-mediated chronic inflammatory bowel disease with a relapsing course. Whether perceived stress affects the disease activity remains debated. This study aimed to investigate if clinical and subclinical disease activity, perceived stress, and hair cortisol concentration (HCC) are associated. Methods We performed a population-based cross-sectional cohort study with 200 randomly selected adult patients with UC living in the catchment area of Linköping University Hospital in southeastern Sweden. Demographic and disease-related data, bowel symptoms registration, the 14-item Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Short Health Scale (SHS), the Inflammatory Bowel Disease Questionnaire (IBDQ), fecal calprotectin (FC), CRP, and hair samples for hair cortisol concentration (HCC) were gathered. HCC has proven a reliable marker of long-term stress, with one centimeter of scalp hair accounting for approximately 4–6 weeks of stress level. A PRO2 score was calculated. Clinical remission was defined as a PRO2 score of zero. Results 174 patients participated in the study (45.1% females). The median age was 52.0 years (IQR 40.0–65.0) and the median disease duration was 13.0 years (IQR 6.0–24.0). The median PSS score was 21.0 (IQR 16.0–27.0). 124 patients had a PRO2 score of zero. Patients in clinical remission had a significantly lower PSS score (median 21.0 (IQR 15.0–27.0)) compared to those with PRO2≥1 (median 24.0 (IQR 17.5–27.5)) (p<0.01). Patients experiencing more perceived stress (PSS score>21.0) had an impaired quality of life as measured with the SHS (p<0.01) and the IBDQ (p<0.01) compared with patients with lower PSS scores. The median FC was 43.1 µg/g, CRP 1.5 mg/l and HCC 24.7 pg/mg. HCC was lower in patients with clinically active disease (median 21.9 pg/mg) compared with patients in clinical remission (median 26.0 pg/mg) (p<0.05). No significant differences in FC, CRP or HCC were detected comparing patients with high versus low PSS scores. Neither was a correlation between HCC and FC or CRP observed. Conclusion Bowel symptoms contribute to the feeling of being stressed. Perceived stress is associated with impaired QoL. Among patients in clinical remission, no association between subclinical inflammation (FC), and perceived stress or long-term stress (HCC) was observed. The issue of whether perceived stress may cause or augment intestinal inflammation, or vice versa, requires further investigation.

Measuring cortisol concentration in hair month-by-month two years retrospectively

Previous studies of cortisol concentrations in hair have concluded that it is not possible to measure more than 6 months retrospectively. This study shows for the first time that it is possible to analyze hair cortisol concentrations month-by-month for a retrospective period of 24 months. In addition, we have determined whether cortisol concentration decreases with time. The study population was 48 women in the age range 20–51 years, all with hair of length of 24 cm or longer. The participants completed a questionnaire that examined exposure to life stressors and potential confounders. Competitive radioimmunoassay was used to extract and analyze cortisol levels in hair. The overall intraclass correlation for the participants was substantial (ICC = 0.38, 95% CI 0.29, 0.49), indicating a strong within-person correlation during the growth period. The median levels of cortisol were reasonably stable. Wash-out effects were small, even for those who reported that they washed their hair every day. We conclude that it is possible to detect hair cortisol concentrations every month at least two years back in time. Changes in hair cortisol concentration are more likely to be related to life stressors than changes due to time since growth.

Cumulative trauma predicts hair cortisol concentrations and symptoms of depression and anxiety in pregnant women—an investigation of community samples from Greece, Spain and Perú

Exposure to traumatic experiences across lifespan shapes the functioning of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and sets individuals at risk to develop symptoms of depression and anxiety. Particularly, HPA axis regulation and the psychological health of the expectant mother have been of interest, as the health of the unborn child may be affected through changes in gestational biology. The present study investigated the potential associations between lifetime trauma, current symptoms (depression and anxiety) and hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) in pregnant women. A total of 149 pregnant women were interviewed in public outpatient clinics with varying gestational age in Greece, Spain and Perú. Lifetime trauma exposure and current symptoms of depression and anxiety were assessed. HCC was measured in scalp-near hair segments (2 cm length) reflecting cumulative cortisol secretion of the past two months. Results showed that trauma load is negatively associated with HCC and higher symptoms of depression and anxiety. There was a negative association between HCC and symptoms. The present findings support the notion that cumulative trauma exposure exerts long-lasting effects on the expectant mother’s HPA axis activity functioning and mental health and may thereby potentially create risk trajectories for the unborn child via changes in gestational biology.

Atypical maternal interaction is associated with elevated levels of hair cortisol in children.

The quality of maternal caregiving is an important factor in the healthy development of a child. One consequence of prolonged insensitive and atypical maternal interaction behavior (e.g., withdrawing from interactions with the child and role-reversal, i.e., the takeover of the parental role or parts of it by the child) in mother-child-dyads can cause alteration of the child's stress response system. Higher salivary cortisol concentrations were reported in infants and toddlers directly after negative interactions with their parents. However, no study to date has examined the association between atypical maternal interaction behavior and hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) in infants. Here, we studied the association of maternal interaction behavior with HCC of the child. Mother-child dyads (N = 112) participated in the longitudinal study My Childhood-Your Childhood. The AMBIANCE scale and its subscales were used to assess atypical maternal interaction behavior during the Strange Situation Procedure. Chronic stress levels in the child were assessed by HCC of 3 cm hair strands at the age of 12 months. Maternal educational level (operationalized in highest education level) served as a control variable. Robust multiple linear regression analyses revealed that role/boundary confusion was associated with HCC, i.e., the higher atypical interaction behavior of the mother the higher the HCC in the children. By measuring hair cortisol in this study, it is possible to determine the average long-term activity of the child's stress response system.Thus, atypical maternal interaction behavior could be a risk factor for persistent stress in children, contributing to a higher risk for negative health outcomes in later life. The results of this study highlight the importance of early intervention programs that focus on the relationship between mother and child.

Intergenerational impact of childhood trauma on hair cortisol concentrations in mothers and their young infants

BackgroundAlterations in stress regulation and function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis during infancy may be a risk factor for the development of psychopathology later in life. Maternal childhood trauma, depression, anxiety and stressful life events are individually associated with HPA axis dysregulation. Less is known about their interdependent influence on maternal and infant stress regulation in at risk populations. In a sample of mothers with a history of depressive-, and/or anxiety disorders and their infants we explored if a history of maternal childhood trauma, current depressive and anxiety symptomatology, and recent life events were associated with maternal and infant long-term cortisol levels three months postpartum. MethodsData were available of 89 mothers and 49 infants. All mothers fulfilled criteria for a lifetime depressive or anxiety disorder. Diagnosis was established with a diagnostic interview. Current depressive symptomatology was assessed with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), current anxiety with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), maternal childhood trauma with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and recent life events with the Everyday Problem Checklist (EPC). Maternal and infant hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) were quantified with liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) three months after birth. Total scores of the CTQ and subscales, EPDS, STAI, and EPC were regressed on maternal and infant HCC using regression analyses. Differences in HCC regarding trauma history were tested with t-tests. Potential confounders were identified and adjusted for. ResultsIn regression analyses, a positive curvilinear relationship was found between CTQ total score and maternal HCC (n = 83, B = 0.076, SE 0.033, p = .021), but not for current depression (n = 88, B = −0.001, SE 0.011, p = .931), current anxiety (n = 88, B = 0.002, SE 0.004, p = .650) or recent life events (n = 89, B = 0.018, SE 0.032, p = .568). Analyses were adjusted for confounders. A negative linear relationship was found between maternal CTQ score and infant HCC (n = 49, β = −0.264, B = −0.006, SE 0.003, p = .052), but not for current maternal depression (n = 45, β = −0.182, B = −0.011, SE 0.008, p = .164), current maternal anxiety (n = 45, β = −0.209, B = −0.005, SE 0.003, p = .113) or recent life events (n = 46, β = −0.128, B = −0.022, SE 0.023, p = .325). Analyses were adjusted for relevant infant hair characteristics. Specifically, maternal emotional and physical neglect were related to HCC in both mothers and infants. ConclusionsResults suggest that maternal childhood trauma is more prominent in altering maternal and infant long-term cortisol levels than perinatal depressive and anxiety symptomatology or recent life stressors in mothers with a history of depressive and/or anxiety disorders, and their infants. As infants of mothers with psychopathology are at increased risk for later psychiatric disease, future studies should investigate the interplay of possible risk factors for transgenerational transmission, intra-uterine programming of the HPA axis, including (epi-)genetic phenomena, of the HPA axis, and the influence of parenting impairment.

Chronic stress is associated with specific path integration deficits

Repeated exposure to stress (chronic stress) can cause excess levels of circulating cortisol and has detrimental influences on various cognitive functions including long-term memory and navigation. However, it remains an open question whether chronic stress affects path integration, a navigational strategy that presumably relies on the functioning of grid cells in the medial entorhinal cortex. The entorhinal cortex is a brain region in the medial temporal lobe, which contains multiple cell types involved in spatial navigation (and episodic memory), and a high number of corticosteroid receptors, predisposing it as a potential target of cortisol effects. Here, our goal was to investigate the association between chronic stress and path integration performance. We assessed chronic stress via hair cortisol concentration (physiological measure) and the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (subjective measure) in 52 female participants aged 22–65 years. Path integration was measured using a virtual homing task. Linear mixed models revealed selective impairments associated with chronic stress that depended on error type and environmental features. When focusing on distance estimations in the path integration task, we observed a significant relationship to hair cortisol concentrations indicating impaired path integration particularly during trials with higher difficulty in participants with high hair cortisol concentrations. This relationship especially emerged in the absence of spatial cues (a boundary or a landmark), and particularly in participants who reported high levels of subjectively experienced chronic stress. The findings are in line with the hypothesis that chronic stress compromises path integration, possibly via an effect on the entorhinal grid cell system.

Household Social Needs, Emotional Functioning, and Stress in Low-Income Latinx Children and their Mothers

Latinx families may be particularly vulnerable to emotional dysfunction, due to higher rates of economic hardship and complex social influences in this population. Little is known about the impact of environmental stressors such as unmet social needs and maternal stress on the emotional health of Latinx children from low-income families. We conducted secondary analyses using survey and biomarker data from 432 Latinx children and mothers collected in a separate study. We used binomial and multinomial logistic regression to test if household social needs, or maternal perceived stress or hair cortisol concentration (HCC), predicted child measures of emotional functioning or child HCC, independent of relevant sociodemographic factors. Approximately 40% of children in the sample had symptoms consistent with emotional dysfunction, and over 37% of households reported five or more social needs. High perceived maternal stress predicted higher odds of child emotional dysfunction (OR = 2.15; 95% CI [1.14, 4.04]; p = 0.01), and high maternal HCC was positively associated with high child HCC (OR = 10.60; 95% CI [4.20, 26.74]; p < 0.01). Most individual household social needs, as well as the level of household social need, were not independently associated with child emotional dysfunction or child HCC. Our findings begin to define a framework for understanding emotional health, stress, and resilience when caring for Latinx children and mothers living with high levels of social need, and the need for integrated mental health and social needs screening and interventions in settings that serve this population.

A matter of habit? Stressful life events and cognitive flexibility in 15-month-olds

Exposure to chronic stress is associated with habitual learning in adults. We studied the origins of this association by examining the link between stressful life events and infant cognitive flexibility. The final sample consisted of N = 72 fifteen-month-old infants and their mothers. Mothers completed a survey on pre- and postnatal negative life events. To assess chronic stress physiologically, infant and maternal hair cortisol concentrations were determined for cortisol accumulation during the past 3 months. Each infant participated in two cognitive tasks in the laboratory. An instrumental learning task tested infants’ ability to disengage from a habituated action when this action became ineffective (Seehagen et al., 2015). An age-adequate version of the A-not-B task tested infants’ ability to find a toy at location B after repeatedly finding it at location A. Correlations between cortisol concentrations and postnatal negative life events (number, perceived impact) did not yield significance. Infant and maternal hair cortisol concentrations were not correlated. Infants’ ability to shift to a new action in either task, controlled for acute stress, correlated neither with pre- and postnatal negative life events nor with cortisol concentrations. Taken together, these results indicate that the potential link between long-term stress exposure and cognitive flexibility might not be present in samples with low levels of psychosocial stress.

Determinants of hair cortisol in preschool children and their mothers: A Brazilian birth cohort study

ObjectiveFew large-scale studies have provided population-based estimates of hair cortisol levels and its determinants. Hair cortisol and potential determinants were measured in children and their mothers in a population-based sample in a Brazilian city with large variations in socioeconomic conditions. MethodsWe used data from the 4-year follow-up of the 2015 Pelotas (Brazil) Birth Cohort Study. Hair samples were collected by trained fieldworkers to analyze average levels of cortisol over a 3-month period. Four groups of variables were tested as potential determinants: hair characteristics (natural color, treatment, type, and frequency of wash), use of corticosteroids and oral contraceptives, sociodemographic factors (sex, age, skin color, socioeconomic level, maternal relationship, pregnancy, daycare enrollment), maternal perceived stress, and substance exposure (smoking and illicit drug use). Linear regression with log transformation was used to test associations. Results3235 children and 3102 mothers were analyzed (80.7% and 77.4% of those interviewed when children were 4 years of age, respectively), for whom sufficient hair was collected for cortisol analysis. The median of hair cortisol concentration was 7.8 pg/mg (IQR = 5.6 – 11.0) for children, and 5.6 pg/mg (IQR = 4.2 – 7.8) for mothers. In adjusted models, sex and socioeconomic level were associated with child cortisol levels. For mothers, hair cortisol levels were associated with socioeconomic level, skin color, age, hair treatment and hair natural color. ConclusionThis study provides estimates of hair cortisol levels in a diverse population in a upper-middle income country. Although just a few predictors were associated with maternal/child cortisol levels, socioeconomic level was the key variable that should be incorporated in studies using hair cortisol to measure biological manifestations of stress, but other variables, such as some hair and sociodemographic characteristics are important to consider when using hair cortisol.

Investigation of cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between work-related burnout and hair cortisol: The Regensburg Burnout Project

BackgroundBurnout is characterized by feelings of exhaustion, depersonalization as well as reduced personal accomplishment and is linked to various negative health effects. Previous studies on biological correlates of burnout have focused on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. However, especially studies on hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) were often based on cross-sectional data and yielded inconsistent results, probably due to the heterogeneity of the selected samples. Accordingly, the aim of the present study was to investigate cross-sectional as well as longitudinal associations between burnout and HCC within a sample consisting of a strictly specified group of individuals suffering from burnout (BO group) and a healthy comparison group (HC group). MethodsAfter a multi-stage recruitment procedure based on burnout symptoms and pathogenesis, eligible subjects (out of an initial sample of 1022 volunteers) were assigned either to a BO (n = 55) or HC group (n = 59), as described in detail in Bärtl et al. (2022). Burnout symptoms as well as HCC (1 cm hair samples) were measured repeatedly at two sampling time points t1 (n = 114) and t2 (n = 100) with an interval of M = 7.20 months (SD = 1.16) between assessments. ResultsIn the total study sample, no cross-sectional associations between burnout and HCC were found either at t1 or at t2. When the analysis was restricted to the BO group, HCC was positively related to burnout symptomatology at t1 but not t2. In the longitudinal analysis, burnout symptoms at t1 were significant negative predictors of HCC at t2. However, the change in HCC from t1 to t2 was not associated with the change in burnout symptoms. ConclusionsIn the present study, we investigated the association between HCC and burnout in a strictly defined sample of subjects suffering from burnout and healthy controls. Our findings mainly do not support our hypotheses. At least, the positive association between HCC and burnout symptoms only within the BO group supports the idea that HPA axis alterations in burnout might only become apparent once a certain threshold of burnout symptomatology has been exceeded, while the longitudinal data provide some empirical evidence for the potential long-term development of hypocortisolism in burnout. However, respective results remain relatively inconclusive.

Workplace stressors and their association with hair cortisol concentrations among ready-made garment workers in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study.

Psychosocial working conditions of ready-made garment (RMG) workers have been associated with poorer self-reported health outcomes. However, no such research has been done with respect to physiological markers that are considered to reflect stress. We consequently aimed to investigate associations of psychosocial working conditions with such a marker, that is, hair cortisol, among RMG workers in Bangladesh. We conducted semi-structured face-to-face interviews in labor colonies in the Mirpur area, Dhaka, Bangladesh, in February and March 2021 with individuals identifying as garment workers. The interview inquired after various workplace stressors and resources (i.e., workplace support, workplace bullying, vertical trust, beneficial leadership, work-family conflict, and financial issues including savings, debts, financial obligations, and financial support). In addition, hair samples of 2 cm length were collected from participants. Hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) were determined based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Linear regression models were run to detect possible associations of workplace stressors and resources with HCC. In total, data of 576 participants were included in the analysis (71.9% female, mean age = 25.9 years). Mean HCC was 4.4 pg/mg (standard deviation = 2.1 pg/mg). The sole variable significantly associated with increased HCC was "having to keep your job to support your children or spouse financially" (β = 0.28 [95% confidence interval 0.02-0.55]). The sole workplace stressor significantly associated with increased HCC was the necessity to keep one's job to support children or spouse financially. This observation can, however, barely be disentangled from the fact that one has children/a spouse.

Evaluation and Comparison of Cortisol Levels in Saliva and Hair among Dental Students

Cortisol has frequently been used as a stress marker, and the variation in cortisol levels in saliva and hair, as well as between males and females, has been reported. This study aimed to evaluate and compare the level of cortisol variation in hair and saliva among dental students of both genders. After giving written agreement, 151 students (79 males and 72 females) participated in the study. Saliva and hair samples were collected at two time intervals with a gap of three months from the same set of participants. Saliva and hair samples were utilized to measure the levels of cortisol using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Each participant’s salivary and hair cortisol levels and demographic information, including age and gender, were recorded. To examine group comparisons, two-tailed Student’s t-tests were used (α &lt; 0.05). The comparisons of salivary and hair cortisol levels showed significant difference (p &lt; 0.05) at two time intervals. Genderwise comparisons of the salivary and hair cortisol’s levels showed significant differences (p &lt; 0.05) for male students, while, for female students, the comparisons showed non-significant differences (p &gt; 0.05). Comparisons between the cortisol levels of the two specimen collections at the two different time intervals indicated substantial variations (p = 0.000). Results confirm the variations in the cortisol levels in the saliva and hair samples. Cortisol concentrations in hair and saliva at the two times points varied. Significant variations between the male students salivary and hair cortisol levels and non-significant differences between the cortisol levels for the female students at the two time points were found. Cortisol levels in the selected subjects’ saliva and hair samples varied.

Effects of injectable vitamin E before or after transit on receiving phase growth performance, health, and blood parameters of beef steers.

The objective was to determine the effects of injectable vitamin E (VE) before or after transit on feedlot cattle receiving performance, health, and blood parameters. Angus × Simmental steers (n = 196; body weight [BW] = 163 ± 29 kg) were utilized in a randomized complete block design. Steers were blocked by BW and randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: intramuscular injections of saline pre- and post-transit (CON), intramuscular injections of VE (2,000 mg d-α-tocopherol) pre-transit and saline post-transit (PRE), or intramuscular injections of saline pre-transit and VE (2,000 mg d-α-tocopherol) post-transit (POST). Pre-transit injections were administered on day 0, and steers were transported on day 7 for approximately 4 h (348 km). After arrival, steers were fed a common corn silage-based diet in GrowSafe bunks. Final BW tended to be greater (P = 0.08) for CON steers compared with POST steers while PRE steers were intermediate. From days 7 to 63, treatment affected average daily gain (ADG) with PRE and CON steers exhibiting (P = 0.04) greater ADG compared with POST steers. Dry matter intake (DMI), water intake, and gain to feed from days 7 to 63 were not affected (P ≥ 0.17) by treatment. Day 0 serum α-tocopherol concentrations were considered marginal (2.3 ± 0.2 mg/l). A treatment × day interaction (P < 0.01) was observed for serum α-tocopherol concentrations. Serum α-tocopherol concentrations were greatest for PRE steers on day 7 (prior to and post-transit), but greater for POST steers on dys 10 and 14. Plasma ferric-reducing antioxidant potential concentrations increased (P = 0.04) for POST steers compared with CON steers and PRE steers being intermediate. Plasma non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) concentrations exhibited a treatment × day interaction (P = 0.04) with CON and POST steers being 16% and 14% greater than PRE steers on day 14, respectively. On day 21, NEFA concentrations were greatest for POST steers compared with PRE steers and CON steers being intermediate. There was no main effect (P ≥ 0.14) of treatment on the number of bovine respiratory disease morbidity treatments. Hair cortisol concentrations were decreased (P < 0.01) 14 days after transit for PRE and POST steers compared with CON steers. Overall, injectable VE administered before or after transit increased serum tocopherol concentrations while reducing stress, but did not improve the growth performance of beef steers during the receiving phase.

Variation of hair cortisol in two herds of migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus): implications for health monitoring.

Migratory caribou (Rangifer tarandus sspp.) is an ecotype of conservation concern that is experiencing increased cumulative stressors associated with rapid climate change and development in Arctic Canada. Increasingly, hair cortisol concentrations (HCCs) are being used to monitor seasonal hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activity of ungulate populations; yet, the effect of key covariates for caribou (sex, season, sampling source, body location) are largely unknown. The objectives of this research were 4-fold: first, we assessed the impact of body location (neck, rump) sampling sites on HCC; second, we assessed key covariates (sex, sampling method, season) impacting HCCs of caribou; third, we investigated inter-population (Dolphin and Union (DU), Bluenose-East (BNE)) and inter-annual differences in HCC and fourth, we examined the association between HCCs and indices of biting insect activity on the summer range (oestrid index, mosquito index). We examined hair from 407 DU and BNE caribou sampled by harvesters or during capture-collaring operations from 2012 to 2020. Linear mixed-effect models were used to assess the effect of body location on HCC and generalized least squares regression (GLS) models were used to examine the impacts of key covariates, year and herd and indices of biting insect harassment. HCC varied significantly by body location, year, herd and source of samples (harvester vs capture). HCC was higher in samples taken from the neck and in the DU herd compared with the BNE, decreased linearly over time and was higher in captured versus hunted animals (P < 0.05). There was no difference in HCC between sexes, and indices of biting insect harassment in the previous year were not significantly associated with HCC. This study identifies essential covariates impacting the HCC of caribou that must be accounted for in sampling, monitoring and data interpretation.

Unmet Social Needs and Patterns of Hair Cortisol Concentration in Mother–Child Dyads

Background Mothers and their children demonstrate dyadic synchrony of hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis function, likely influenced by shared genetic or environmental factors. Although evidence has shown that chronic stress exposure has physiologic consequences for individuals—including on the HPA axis—minimal research has explored how unmet social needs such as food and housing instability may be associated with chronic stress and HPA axis synchrony in mother–child dyads. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of data from 364 mother–child dyads with low-income recruited during a randomized trial conducted in an urban pediatric clinic. We used latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify subgroups based on naturally occurring patterns of within-dyad hair cortisol concentration (HCC). A logistic regression model predicted dyadic HCC profile membership as a function of summative count of survey-reported unmet social needs, controlling for demographic and health covariates. Results LPA of HCC data from dyads revealed a 2-profile model as the best fit. Comparisons of log HCC for mothers and children in each profile group resulted in significantly “higher dyadic HCC” versus “lower dyadic HCC” profiles (median log HCC for mothers: 4.64 vs 1.58; children: 5.92 vs 2.79, respectively; P < .001). In the fully adjusted model, each one-unit increase in number of unmet social needs predicted significantly higher odds of membership in the higher dyadic HCC profile when compared to the lower dyadic HCC profile (odds ratio = 1.13; 95% confidence interval [1.04-1.23]; P = .01). Conclusion Mother–child dyads experience synchronous patterns of physiologic stress, and an increasing number of unmet social needs is associated with a profile of higher dyadic HCC. Interventions aimed at decreasing family-level unmet social needs or maternal stress are, therefore, likely to affect pediatric stress and related health inequities; efforts to address pediatric stress similarly may affect maternal stress and related health inequities. Future research should explore the measures and methods needed to understand the impact of unmet social needs and stress on family dyads.

Evaluation of prepartum and postpartum stress by measuring hair cortisol concentrations of Holstein dairy cows and their calves and its relationship to calving conditions and health status.

Periparturient stress can have long-term negative effects on both dairy cows and their calves and may contribute to lower productivity. The purpose of this study was to determine how periparturient stress is related to differences in calving difficulty and health status by measuring hair cortisol concentration in periparturient dairy cows and their calves. Calving environment (calving pen, tie stall, and group paddock), calving difficulty, calving progress, health status, and calf weight were recorded, and tail hair from 25 of the cows and their calves was collected at calving and 1 month after calving to measure hair cortisol concentration. There were no significant correlations between hair cortisol concentration and calving environment, calving difficulty, calf weight gain rate. Hair cortisol concentrations at calving were significantly higher in cows with oversized calves or twin births than in cows with normal-sized singleton calves (4.2 ± 2.2 pg/mg vs. 2.1 ± 1.5 pg/mg, P<0.05). Cows with clinical disease within one month of calving had significantly higher levels of hair cortisol one month after calving compared to healthy cows (3.8 ± 1.1 pg/mg vs. 2.3 ± 1.9 pg/mg, P<0.05). Calves with clinical disease within the first month after birth tended to have higher hair cortisol levels at birth than healthy calves (4.7 ± 2.4 pg/mg vs. 3.2 ± 0.9 pg/mg, P<0.1). These results suggest that calving of oversized calves and twin births and suffering clinical diseases can cause more stress for cows during the periparturient period.

Tracking reproductive events: Hoof growth and steroid hormone concentrations in hair and hoof tissues in moose (Alces alces).

Measurements of reproductive and stress-related hormones in keratinous tissues (e.g. hair, claws, hooves, baleen) can provide a record of stress and reproductive response in wildlife. We evaluated a method to collect keratin tissue from hooves of immobilized moose (Alces alces) and validated enzyme immunoassays for measuring cortisol and progesterone in hooves and hair. We also measured the annual growth and wear rates of moose hooves. Progesterone (range: 1.0-43.7pg/mg) and cortisol (range: 0.05-2.9pg/mg) were measurable and showed variation among hoof samples and moose. Pregnant females had twice as high progesterone concentrations (18.00 ± 3.73pg/mg) from hoof sample locations post breeding compared to non-pregnant moose (9.40 ± 0.25pg/mg). Annual hoof growth differed between the front (5.58 ± 0.12cm) and rear (4.73 ± 0.13cm) hooves and varied by season with higher growth rates during summer which decreased into autumn and winter. Adult female hooves represented between 1.6 and 2.1years of growth and included up to two reproductive cycles. We established a method to estimate hoof growth rate and applied this to postmortem samples and were able to detect previous pregnancies. Shoulder guard hairs grew between August and March including during late gestation; however, hair progesterone concentrations (range: 2-107.1pg/mg) were not related to reproductive state. Hair cortisol concentrations in our study (range: 0.2-15.9pg/mg) were within the range of values previously reported for cervids. Our study supports the use of hooves for longitudinal sampling and measuring reproductive and stress-related hormones, providing a new tool for tracking reproductive events and understanding what variables may contribute to population level changes in reproduction.

Pythagorean Self-Awareness Intervention Promoted Healthy Dietary Patterns, Controlled Body Mass Index, and Reduced Self-Reported Stress Levels of Primary School Children: Α One-Arm Pilot Study.

Stress is common in childhood and an important factor that affects behavior later in adulthood. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of the Pythagorean Self-Awareness Intervention (PSAI), a holistic "cognitive reconstruction" technique to assess primary school children's stress levels, adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and body mass index. Secondary outcome measures included relations with peers, sleep, and hair cortisol concentrations. This one-arm pilot study took place in a primary school, from February to June 2019. Participants were 32 pupils attending the second grade of primary school who received the 8-week PSAI to adopt healthy behaviors and lifestyle. Self-report measures were applied for the evaluation of various variables at the beginning and the end of the eight-week intervention. There were statistically significant reductions in stress levels (p=0.00), nightmares' frequency (p=0.00), body mass index (p=0.03), and bully scale (p=0.00), and improvement in Mediterranean diet quality (p=0.00). Hair cortisol concentrations increased (p=0.02). The social scale significantly increased. Bedtime remained the same after the intervention. This pilot trial showed that the PSAI promoted healthy dietary patterns, controlled children's body mass index, and reduced their self-reported stress levels. Further research on the implementation of this holistic program on children is suggested, in well-powered randomized controlled trials.

Differences between Hair Cortisol Concentrations in Day Shift Workers and Rotating Night Shift Workers in Japan

PURPOSE: The study aimed to determine the differences between stress levels in day shift workers and night shift workers by measurements of hair cortisol concentration (HCC) and by using self-administered questionnaires. &#x0D; &#x0D; METHODS: HCC was measured by using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The subjective stress level was evaluated by a brief job stress questionnaire, stress response scale-18 (SRS-18), and visual analog scale (VAS).&#x0D; &#x0D; RESULTS: Mean (&amp;plusmn; standard deviation: SD) HCC in the 16 subjects was 17.28 &amp;plusmn; 7.39 pg/mg. There was no significant difference between HCCs in day shift workers (17.98 &amp;plusmn; 3.03 pg/mg) and rotating night shift workers (16.37 &amp;plusmn; 1.86 pg/mg). There were also no significant differences in SRS-18 scores, job-related stress scale scores, and VAS scores between day shift workers and rotating night shift workers. There was a significant difference in HCC between the group in which the stress condition was weak or normal and the group in which the stress condition was slightly strong or definitely strong according to the SRS-18 level (p = 0.030). &#x0D; &#x0D; CONCLUSIONS: Day shift workers and rotating night shift workers have similar HCCs and similar degrees of job-related stress. In rotating shift workers who feel strong stress, acquirement of resilience due to stress coping for medium- to long-term stress may be involved in low HCC.