Body mass index, waist circumference and body fat are positively correlated with hair cortisol in children: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Ling, Jiying; Kao, Tsui‐Sui Annie; Robbins, Lorraine B.

doi:10.1111/obr.13050

Cited by 26 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 61 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Our findings contrast with meta‐analyses that have suggested that links between HFI and body fat tend to be most common among women and among populations living in higher‐income or more‐industrialized nations (4,5) and uncommon or in the opposite direction among children and populations living in lower‐income or less‐industrialized nations (5,23). Our results also contrast with findings from meta‐analyses that have demonstrated overall positive, albeit not universal, associations between HCC and adiposity among adults (35) and children (36), as we found no such associations among adults and negative associations among children. This study raises questions regarding the kinds of buffers and compensatory mechanisms (both physiological and behavioral) that explain the null or positive associations between some measures of HFI and adiposity and null or negative associations between HCC and adiposity.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Household Food Insecurity, Hair Cortisol, and Adiposity Among Tsimane’ Hunter‐Forager‐Horticulturalists in Bolivia

Bethancourt

Ulrich

Almeida

et al. 2021

Obesity

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objectives: This study examined how household food insecurity (HFI) and chronic stress relate to adiposity among Tsimane' hunter-foragerhorticulturalists in remote Bolivia with limited access to energy-dense processed foods that promote weight gain among industrialized populations. Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional data on HFI (via the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale [HFIAS]), hair cortisol concentration (HCC), adiposity (BMI, body fat percentage [%BF]), and sociodemographics were collected from 171 men, 164 women, and 167 children. Linear mixedeffects models tested linear, quadratic, joint, and interactive relationships between adiposity measures and both the HFIAS score and HCC. Results: Among children, each 3-point HFIAS score increase was associated with a 0.44-point higher %BF (SE = 0.22, P = 0.04). However, each 20% increase in HCC was associated with a −0.29-point difference in %BF (SE = 0.12, P = 0.01). Among men, a slight curvilinear relationship emerged between HFIAS and BMI. HFIAS and HCC were unrelated to adiposity measures among women. HCC did not modify relationships between HFIAS and adiposity in any subgroup. Conclusions: These findings from a remote, small-scale population suggest that positive associations between HFI and adiposity are not isolated to contexts of industrialized food environments and heavy reliance on processed foods. However, these dynamics and the role of stress appear to differ by sex and age group.

show abstract

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Household Food Insecurity, Hair Cortisol, and Adiposity Among Tsimane’ Hunter‐Forager‐Horticulturalists in Bolivia

Bethancourt

Ulrich

Almeida

et al. 2021

Obesity

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…When insufficient data were reported for meta‐analysis, corresponding authors were contacted twice in a 2‐week time frame. In case of nonresponse, data were extracted from previous meta‐analyses where possible 9,12 …”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The authors concluded that variation in HairF levels on study level could be related, among other factors, to differences in mean BMI of the study populations 9 . Gray et al and Ling et al also reported that BMI and BMI standard deviation score (SDS), that is, BMI z ‐scores adjusted for age and sex that are most often used in pediatric studies, 10 were important determinants of HairF levels in children 11,12 . However, in the last years, many new large‐scale studies in various age categories have been published that have investigated the relation between HairGC and anthropometric features.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cross‐sectional relation of long‐term glucocorticoids in hair with anthropometric measurements and their possible determinants: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary Background Long‐term glucocorticoids (HairGC) measured in scalp hair have been associated with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and waist‐hip‐ratio (WHR) in several cross‐sectional studies. We aimed to investigate the magnitude, strength, and clinical relevance of these relations across all ages. Methods We performed a systematic review and meta‐analysis (PROSPERO registration CRD42020205187) searching for articles relating HairGC to measures of obesity. Main outcomes were bivariate correlation coefficients and unadjusted simple linear regression coefficients relating hair cortisol (HairF) and hair cortisone (HairE) to BMI, WC, and WHR. Results We included k = 146 cohorts (n = 34,342 individuals). HairGC were positively related to all anthropometric measurements. The strongest correlation and largest effect size were seen for HairE‐WC: pooled correlation 0.18 (95%CI 0.11–0.24; k = 7; n = 3,158; I2 = 45.7%) and pooled regression coefficient 11.0 cm increase in WC per point increase in 10‐log‐transformed HairE (pg/mg) on liquid‐chromatography‐(tandem) mass spectrometry (LC–MS) (95%CI 10.1–11.9 cm; k = 6; n = 3,102). Pooled correlation for HairF‐BMI was 0.10 (95%CI 0.08–0.13; k = 122; n = 26,527; I2 = 51.2%) and pooled regression coefficient 0.049 kg/m2 per point increase in 10‐log‐transformed HairF (pg/mg) on LC–MS (95%CI 0.045–0.054 kg/m2; k = 26; n = 11,635). Discussion There is a consistent positive association between HairGC and BMI, WC, and WHR, most prominently and clinically relevant for HairE‐WC. These findings overall suggest an altered setpoint of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis with increasing central adiposity.

show abstract

“…This suggests that, in the elderly, other factors such as inflammation or body fat distribution may be involved and confound the results. Recently, another meta‐analysis reported the associations between HCC and adiposity in children (71). Despite the existence of some inconsistencies, when studies are pooled together in a meta‐analysis, the link between HCC and obesity seems to be conserved across the life‐span, possibly indicating the existence of a connection between trait measurement of HPA axis activity rather than state measurement.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Deciphering the Association Between Hypothalamus‐Pituitary‐Adrenal Axis Activity and Obesity: A Meta‐Analysis

Ostinelli

Scovronec

Iceta

et al. 2021

Obesity

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Objective Both the cortisol awakening response (CAR; corresponding to the state measurement) and hair cortisol concentration (HCC; corresponding to the trait measurement) are considered reliable markers of hypothalamus‐pituitary‐adrenal axis activity. Because cortisol has long been associated with adiposity, this systematic review and meta‐analysis aims to summarize and compare the literature around CAR and HCC and their association with obesity or fat distribution indices. Methods The PubMed, Web of Science (Web of Science Core Collection and Medline), EBSCO Information Services, Embase, and PsycNET databases were searched, and full‐text articles investigating the association between CAR or HCC and markers of adiposity in humans were included. Meta‐analyses were then performed to compare studies associating CAR or HCC with BMI (a marker of general adiposity) and waist circumference (a marker of fat distribution). Results The results of this review highlight inconsistencies in cortisol sampling and CAR computation, which makes comparisons between studies difficult. It was found that adiposity indices are not associated with CAR but that they correlate significantly and positively with HCC. The subgroup analysis hinted to possible age differences in the magnitude of the association between HCC and BMI. Conclusions Trait rather than state measurement of the hypothalamus‐pituitary‐adrenal axis activity is associated with increased general and abdominal adiposity in humans.

show abstract

Body mass index, waist circumference and body fat are positively correlated with hair cortisol in children: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Cited by 26 publications

References 61 publications

Household Food Insecurity, Hair Cortisol, and Adiposity Among Tsimane’ Hunter‐Forager‐Horticulturalists in Bolivia

Household Food Insecurity, Hair Cortisol, and Adiposity Among Tsimane’ Hunter‐Forager‐Horticulturalists in Bolivia

Cross‐sectional relation of long‐term glucocorticoids in hair with anthropometric measurements and their possible determinants: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

Deciphering the Association Between Hypothalamus‐Pituitary‐Adrenal Axis Activity and Obesity: A Meta‐Analysis

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About