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Differences in segmental hair cortisol concentration analysis among children and adolescents with overweight and obesity, their parents, and normal weight peers

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Abstract

Purpose

Dysregulation of the stress system via incidental long exposure to glucocorticoids (GCs) can lead to weight gain. In addition, family and maternal stress can also have an impact on children’s weight. Hair is used in several studies to evaluate cortisol (GC) levels in children and adolescents with excess weight as a retrospective stress biomarker, depending on the hair length the cortisol measurement depicting different time periods. We aimed to investigate whether there is a difference among segmental hair cortisol concentration (HCC) analysis between children and adolescents with overweight and obesity, their mothers, and normal weight peers.

Methods

This study recruited 25 children aged 6–14 years with a body mass index (BMI) ≥ 85th centile and their mothers, as well as 20 children of the same age with a BMI < 85th centile. Hair cortisol concentration was measured using electrochemiluminescence immunoassay.

Results

Segmental HCC analysis exhibited gradually decreasing values in all participants as segments of hair were more distantly located from the scalp. A positive correlation was found between BMI z-score and HCC of the first segment of hair in children and adolescents with elevated BMI (b = 1.84, p = 0.033), as well as with maternal HCC / of an only child (b = 15.77, p = 0.01). There were no associations between mother-child dyads and children and adolescents of different BMI groups, even though minors with excess weight exhibited higher HCC levels in all segments of hair in comparison to their normal weight counterparts.

Conclusions

Hair cortisol of all participants exhibited a gradually declining concentration. More studies with larger samples and more sensitive methods of analysis are warranted in order to draw firmer conclusions.

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Funding

The work was supported by the postgraduate course on the Science of Stress and Health Promotion of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and the First Department of Pediatrics of the Medical School on the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens at “Aghia Sophia” Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece.

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  1. Postgraduate Course on “The Science of Stress and Health Promotion”, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Thivon and Levadias str, 11527, Athens, Greece

    Rosa-Anna Kitani, Nicolas C. Nicolaides, Maria Michou, Konstantina Letsou, Panagiota Pervanidou & Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein

  2. First Department of Pediatrics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens Medical School, “Aghia Sophia” Children’s Hospital, Athens, Greece

    Nicolas C. Nicolaides, Aimilia Mantzou, Evi Chatzidaki, Nektaria Polychronaki, Panagiota Pervanidou & Christina Kanaka-Gantenbein

  3. Human Ecology Laboratory, Department of Economics and Sustainable Development, Harokopio University, 17671, Athens, Greece

    Maria Michou

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Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the Research Ethics Committee of “Aghia Sophia” Children’s Hospital (protocol number: 23234; date:18 November 2021), the procedures of which were in accordance with the standards of the Declaration of Helsinki for human experimentation [43]. All mothers of mother-child dyads signed a written informed consent form for their own and their child’s participation. Likewise, the parents of children in the control group were also informed about the purpose of this study and signed a written consent form. In addition, adolescents gave oral consent for their participation in the study.

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Kitani, RA., Nicolaides, N.C., Mantzou, A. et al. Differences in segmental hair cortisol concentration analysis among children and adolescents with overweight and obesity, their parents, and normal weight peers. Hormones 22, 623–632 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42000-023-00482-2

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