ArticleLiterature Review

Physiological Consequences of Everyday Psychosocial Stress

July 1997
Collegium Antropologicum 21(1):17-28

July 1997
21(1):17-28

Source
PubMed

Authors:

Durham University

A large body of data has been accumulated concerning physiological responses in people exposed to stressors in laboratories. Adrenaline and cortisol have become known as "stress hormones" because, in men, levels of both hormones consistently rise in response to stress in laboratory-based investigations. If chronically repeated, elevation of adrenaline and cortisol is likely to have long-term consequences for health, especially cardiovascular health, partly via the effects of the hormones on blood pressure and serum cholesterol levels. Research on people conducting their everyday lives is necessary to establish whether the same responses are shown on a day to day basis. Such research requires new methodologies and careful data collection. So far, it has been shown that adrenaline and blood pressure do seem to vary in expected ways. Other responses in everyday life, including those of cholesterol, cortisol and the immune system, are less well characterised.

Diabetes and stress: An anthropological review for study of modernizing populations in the US-Mexico border region

Article

Jul 2011
Rural Rem Health

Diabetes is a growing worldwide problem, characterized by considerable ethnic variation and being particularly common in modernizing populations. Modernization is accompanied by a variety of stressful sociocultural changes that are believed to increase the risk of diabetes. Unfortunately, there is little accurate knowledge about impact of stress on the risk of diabetes in the US-Mexico border area. Literature searches were performed in PubMed and Google Scholar to identify anthropological studies on stress and diabetes. Snowball and opportunistic sampling were used to expand the identified literature. In total, 30 anthropological studies were identified concerning the role of stress and modernization on diabetes among Indigenous peoples. This article reviews the available information regarding stress and diabetes in different populations from various anthropological perspectives. Four different concepts of stress were indentified: physiological, psychological, psychosocial and nutritional stress. Unlike physiological and nutritional theories of diabetes, psychological and psychosocial theories of stress and disease lack etiological specificity. No study addressed all four concepts of stress and few studies addressed more than two concepts. Most studies concerned nutritional stress and the developmental origins of diabetes. Most studies were conducted on the Pima Indians of Arizona and Mexico. All four stress concepts have some evidence as determinants of diabetes. These theoretical concepts and ethnographic results can provide the basis for developing comprehensive research protocols and public health intervention targeted at diabetes. A comprehensive view of stress can potentially explain the high prevalence of diabetes in developing countries and among Indigenous peoples. These results can be used to inform public health interventions aimed at reducing diabetes in the US-Mexico border region or similar areas, help identify at-risk individuals, and guide health education and promotion.

Identification of Suitable Biomarkers for Stress and Emotion Detection for Future Personal Affective Wearable Sensors

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2020

Skin conductivity (i.e., sweat) forms the basis of many physiology-based emotion and stress detection systems. However, such systems typically do not detect the biomarkers present in sweat, and thus do not take advantage of the biological information in the sweat. Likewise, such systems do not detect the volatile organic components (VOC’s) created under stressful conditions. This work presents a review into the current status of human emotional stress biomarkers and proposes the major potential biomarkers for future wearable sensors in affective systems. Emotional stress has been classified as a major contributor in several social problems, related to crime, health, the economy, and indeed quality of life. While blood cortisol tests, electroencephalography and physiological parameter methods are the gold standards for measuring stress; however, they are typically invasive or inconvenient and not suitable for wearable real-time stress monitoring. Alternatively, cortisol in biofluids and VOCs emitted from the skin appear to be practical and useful markers for sensors to detect emotional stress events. This work has identified antistress hormones and cortisol metabolites as the primary stress biomarkers that can be used in future sensors for wearable affective systems.

Health Impact of Psychosocial Hazards at Work: An Overview

Book

Full-text available

Dec 2010

Migrant au pairs in the Norwegian welfare state: Care chains and transnational care

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2009

Ragnhild Sollund

The purpose of this paper is to explore, using qualitative analysis and methods, the experiences of Filipinas working as au pairs in Norway, focusing especially on the migrant mothers’ situation. Care chains, the emotional costs of migration and the women’s strategies to cope with those costs are emphasised. The empirical analysis broadens the understanding of care chains and transnational motherhood. It shows: that migrants perceive benefits from remittances as justifying the care drain their migration causes; that they cope with the separation from their children by transferring feelings for their own children to the children of employers, that they may create and prolong a physical and an emotional distance to relieve longing; that they elevate and justify their migration by perceiving it as a sacrifice, and that they alleviate their longing through technological means such as texting, frequent phoning and web cameras. Key words: au pairs, care chains, social and emotional distancing, transnational mothering, remittances, sacrifice

The use of cortisol to assess physiologic stress levels across women: How many samples are needed and what is the best standardization method?

Article

Mar 2011

A comparison between first morning urinary cortisol levels and circadian salivary cortisol profiles

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2012

Biological measures and the psychosocial working environment

Article

Jan 2012

Psychosocial stress and changes in estimated glomerular filtration rate among adults with diabetes mellitus

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2015

Background: Psychosocial stress has been hypothesized to impact renal changes, but this hypothesis has not been adequately tested. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between psychosocial stress and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and to examine other predictors of eGFR changes among persons with diabetes mellitus (DM). Methods: Data from a survey conducted in 2005 by a major health maintenance organization located in the southeastern part of the United States, linked to patients' clinical and pharmacy records (n=575) from 2005 to 2008, was used. Study participants were working adults aged 25-59 years, diagnosed with DM but without advanced microvascular or macrovascular complications. eGFR was estimated using the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation. A latent psychosocial stress variable was created from five psychosocial stress subscales. Using a growth factor model in a structural equation framework, we estimated the association between psychosocial stress and eGFR while controlling for important covariates. Results: The psychosocial stress variable was not directly associated with eGFR in the final model. Factors found to be associated with changes in eGFR were age, race, insulin use, and mean arterial pressure. Conclusion: Among fairly healthy DM patients, we did not find any evidence of a direct association between psychosocial stress and eGFR changes after controlling for important covariates. Predictors of eGFR change in our population included age, race, insulin use, and mean arterial pressure.

Variation in maternal urinary cortisol profiles across the peri-conceptional period: A longitudinal description and evaluation of potential functions

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2015
HUM REPROD

Study question: How do women's first morning urinary cortisol levels, a marker of stress axis activity, vary during the peri-conceptional period (the 12 weeks around conception)? Summary answer: First morning urinary cortisol follows an overall increasing trajectory across the peri-conceptional period, interrupted by 2 week-long decreases during the week preceding conception and the fifth week following conception. What is known already: Later gestational stages (i.e. second and third trimesters) are characterized by increasing levels of circulating cortisol. This increase is hypothesized to constitute a response to the energy demands imposed by fetal growth, and the development of energy reserves in preparation for nursing and performing regular activities while carrying pregnancy's extra weight and volume. Study design, size, duration: This study is based on a data set collected as part of a longitudinal, naturalistic investigation into the interactions between the stress (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPAA)) and reproductive (hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPGA)) axes. Biomarkers of HPAA and HPGA function were quantified in first morning urinary specimens collected every other day from 22 healthy women who conceived a pregnancy during the study. We analyzed the longitudinal within- and between-individual variation in first morning urinary cortisol levels across the 12-week peri-conceptional period. Participants/materials, setting, methods: Participants were recruited from two rural, aboriginal, neighboring communities in Guatemala. Cortisol, estradiol and progesterone metabolites (estrone-3-glucuronide and pregnanediol glucuronide, respectively) and hCG levels were quantified in first morning urinary specimens using immunoassays to determine time of conception and confirm pregnancy maintenance. Linear mixed-effects models with regression splines were used to evaluate the magnitude and significance of changes in cortisol trajectories. Main results and the role of chance: Overall, maternal first morning urinary cortisol increased from 6 weeks prior to conception (geometric mean ± SD = 58.14 ± 36.00 ng/ml) to 6 weeks post-conception (89.29 ± 46.76 ng/ml). The magnitude of the increase between the pre- and post-conception periods varied significantly between women (likelihood ratio test statistic = 8.0017, P = 0.005). The peri-conceptional period is characterized by an increasing cortisol trajectory (+1.36% per day; P = 0.007) interrupted by a week-long decline immediately prior to conception (-4.02% per day; P = 0.0013). After conception cortisol increased again (+1.73% per day; P = 0.0008) for 4 weeks, fell in the fifth week (-6.60% per day; P = 0.0002) and increased again in post-conceptional week 6 (+8.86% per day; P = 0.002). Maternal urinary cortisol levels varied with sex of the gestating embryo. During gestational week 2, mothers carrying female embryos (N = 10) had higher mean cortisol levels than those carrying male embryos (N = 9) (t(17) = 2.28, P = 0.04). Limitations, reasons for caution: Our results are based on a relatively small sample (n = 22) of women. However, our repeated-measures design with an average of 27 ± 8 (mean ± SD) data points per woman strengthens the precision of estimates resulting in high statistical power. Additionally, our study population's high degree of ethnic and cultural homogeneity reduces the effects of confounders compared with those found in industrialized populations. This higher level of homogeneity also increases our statistical power. However, since there may be small differences in absolute cortisol values among ethnic groups, the social and biological background of our sample may affect the generalizability of our results. General patterns of HPAA activity, however, are expected to be universal across women. Finally, as there is, to the best of our knowledge, no evidence to the contrary, we assumed that urinary cortisol levels reflect HPAA activity and that changes in gonadal steroids across the menstrual cycle do not affect the levels of free cortisol measured in urine. Wider implications of the findings: To our knowledge, this is the first longitudinal profile of basal maternal HPAA activity across the peri-conceptional period. A basic understanding of the normative (basal as opposed to stress-induced) changes in HPAA activity across this period is needed to accurately assess women's stress at this juncture. Importantly, changes in HPAA activity are likely to play a critical role in ovulation, fertilization, implantation, placentation and embryonic programing. Thus, this novel information should aid in the development of interventions aimed at preventing or moderating undesired effects of maternal physiological stress during the peri-conceptional period on reproductive outcomes as well as embryonic development. Study funding/competing interests: This research was funded by a CIHR IGH Open Operating grant (CIHR 106705) to P.A.N. and L.Z.; a Simon Fraser University (SFU) President's Start-up grant, a Community Trust Endowment Fund grant through SFU's Human Evolutionary Studies Program and a Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research Career Investigator Scholar Award to P.A.N.; an NSERC Discovery grant to L.Z.; a CIHR Post-Doctoral Fellowship to C.K.B. and an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award to H.M. and J.C.B. The funding agencies had no role in the design, analysis, interpretation or reporting of the findings. There are no competing interests. Trial registration number: Not applicable.

Effect of orthostatic hypotension on sustained attention in patients with autonomic failure

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2015

Orthostatic hypotension has been associated with impaired cognitive function, but cognitive function during orthostatic hypotension has hardly been studied. We studied the effect of orthostatic hypotension, induced by head-up tilt (HUT), on sustained attention in patients with autonomic failure. We studied the sustained attention to response task (SART) in the supine position and during HUT in 10 patients with autonomic failure and 10 age-matched and sex-matched controls. To avoid syncope, the tilting angle was tailored to patients to reach a stable systolic blood pressure below 100 mm Hg. Controls were all tilted at an angle of 60°. Cerebral blood flow velocity, blood pressure and heart rate were measured continuously. In patients, systolic blood pressure was 61.4 mm Hg lower during HUT than in the supine position (p<0.001). Patients did not make more SART errors during HUT than in the supine position (-1.3 errors, p=0.3). Controls made 2.3 fewer errors during SART in the HUT position compared to the supine position (p=0.020). SART performance led to an increase in systolic blood pressure (+11.8 mm Hg, p=0.018) and diastolic blood pressure (+5.8 mm Hg, p=0.017) during SART in the HUT position, as well as to a trend towards increased cerebral blood flow velocity (+3.8 cm/s, p=0.101). Orthostatic hypotension in patients with autonomic failure was not associated with impaired sustained attention. This might partly be explained by the observation that SART performance led to a blood pressure increase. Moreover, the upright position was associated with better performance in controls and, to a lesser extent, also in patients. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

ABSENTEÏSME OP HET WERK: BESTAAN ER SPECIFIEKE PROFIELEN VAN VERZUIMERS? EEN EMPIRISCHE STUDIE

Article

Full-text available

Job Burnout, Work Engagement and Self-reported Treatment for Health Conditions in South Africa

Article

Apr 2014
STRESS HEALTH

The purpose of the study being reported here was to investigate the relationship of job burnout and work engagement with self-reported received treatment for health conditions (cardiovascular condition, high cholesterol, depression, diabetes, hypertension and irritable bowel syndrome), while controlling for age, gender, smoking and alcohol use. The sample comprised 7895 employees from a broad range of economic sectors in the South African working population. A cross-sectional survey design was used for the study. Structural equation modelling methods were implemented with a weighted least squares approach. The results showed that job burnout had a positive relationship with self-reported received treatment for depression, diabetes, hypertension and irritable bowel syndrome. Work engagement did not have any significant negative or positive relationships with the treatment for these health conditions. The results of this study make stakeholders aware of the relationship between job burnout, work engagement and self-reported treatment for health conditions. Evidence for increased reporting of treatment for ill-health conditions due to burnout was found. Therefore, attempts should be made to manage job burnout to prevent ill-health outcomes. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

’n Vergelyking tussen die kardiostres-indekse van ’n aktiewe en ’n sedentêre populasie

Data

Full-text available

Nov 2013

satnt.v32i1.769 Oorspronklike Navorsing: Voedsel 'n Vergelyking tussen die kardiostres-indekse van 'n aktiewe en 'n sedentêre populasie Authors: Peet du Toit Die moderne leefwyse bring dikwels mee dat ons die belangrikheid van liggaamlike oefening uit die oog verloor. Ons toenemend passiewe leefwyse het gelei tot 'n aansienlike toename in die voorkoms van lewenstylsiektes soos hipertensie en verskeie vorme van vaskulêre patologie. In hierdie studie word die kardiostres-indekse (KSI'e) van aktiewe en sedentêre individue met mekaar vergelyk ten einde insig te verkry in die uitwerking van die aansienlike veranderinge wat in die gemoderniseerde samelewing plaasgevind het. Die aktiewe populasie het bestaan uit 217 weermagrekrute wat reeds 20 weke van hul basiese weermagopleiding voltooi het. Die (n = 126) lede van die sedentêre populasie is gewerf uit 'n tradisionele tersiêre onderwysinstansie. Die deelnemers uit beide populasies moes drie toetssessies bywoon wat gedurende week 1, week 12 en week 20 gehou is. Hulle het 'n nie-ingrypende Viport TM -toets ondergaan om hul KSI, harttempo en QRS-duur te bepaal. Die resultate het getoon dat alhoewel die basislyn vir KSI, bloeddruk en harttempo aanvanklik hoër was onder die aktiewe populasie, die aanvang van die liggaamsoefeningprogram ten opsigte van hierdie drie faktore 'n geleidelike afname en dus 'n verandering in die rigting, en uiteindelik gesonder marges tot gevolg gehad het. Die KSI het egter nie die normale reikwydte ten opsigte van een van die twee groepe bereik nie, wat daarop gedui het dat alhoewel liggaamlike aktiwiteit fisiologiese stresvlakke verminder, ander sleutelfaktore, te wete leefwyse en stresvlakke, ook in ag geneem moet word. Die studie onderskryf die idee dat 'n toename in liggaamlike aktiwiteit die potensiaal het om 'n individu se vatbaarheid vir kardiovaskulêre siektes te verminder. Die studie ondersoek ook die uitwerking van oefening op die hart deur die gebruik van KSI as 'n meetinstrument. Inleiding Ons moderne leefwyse plaas 'n groot hoeveelheid onnodige stres op die liggaam. Dergelike stres kan óf fisiologies, óf sielkundig van aard wees, en beide het 'n negatiewe uitwerking op morbiditeit (sieklikheid) en mortaliteit (die sterftesyfer). Die toenemend passiewe leefwyse wat A comparison between the cardio-stress indices of an active and a sedentary population. Our modern lifestyle often results in the importance of physical exercise being overlooked. The increasingly passive way of life has resulted in a notable increase in the prevalence of lifestyle disorders, such as hypertension and some forms of vascular pathology. This study compares the cardio-stress indices (CSIs) of active and sedentary individuals to provide insight into the impact of the significant changes that have taken place in the modernised society. The active population consisted of 217 military recruits who had completed 20 weeks of basic military training. The sedentary population (n = 126) was sourced from a traditional tertiary institution where the focus is on attending lectures. Participants from both populations were required to attend three testing sessions, which were held during Week 1, Week 12 and Week 20. Subjects underwent a non-invasive Viport TM test to measure their CSI, heart rate and QRS duration. The results showed that although baseline readings for CSI, blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were initially higher among the active population, the commencement of the physical training programme resulted in a steady decline in respect of these three factors to approach healthier margins. However, the CSI for neither population reached the normal range, indicating that although physical activity reduces physiological stress levels, other key factors, namely lifestyle stress levels, must also be taken into account.The study supports the notion that increased physical activity has the potential to reduce the predisposition of an individual to cardiovascular disorders and contributes towards establishing the effect of training on heart health by using CSI as a means of measurement. Scan this QR code with your smart phone or mobile device to read online.. et al., 2013, ''n Vergelyking tussen die kardiostres-indekse van 'n aktiewe en 'n sedentêre populasie', Suid-Afrikaanse Tydskrif vir Natuurwetenskap en Tegnologie 32(1), Art. #769, 7 pages.

A comparison between the cardio-stress indices of an active and a sedentary population

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2013

Our modern lifestyle often results in the importance of physical exercise being overlooked. The increasingly passive way of life has resulted in a notable increase in the prevalence of lifestyle disorders, such as hypertension and some forms of vascular pathology. This study compares the cardio-stress indices (CSIs) of active and sedentary individuals to provide insight into the impact of the significant changes that have taken place in the modernised society. The active population consisted of 217 military recruits who had completed 20 weeks of basic military training. The sedentary population (n = 126) was sourced from a traditional tertiary institution where the focus is on attending lectures. Participants from both populations were required to attend three testing sessions, which were held during Week 1, Week 12 and Week 20. Subjects underwent a non-invasive ViportTM test to measure their CSI, heart rate and QRS duration. The results showed that although baseline readings for CSI, blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were initially higher among the active population, the commencement of the physical training programme resulted in a steady decline in respect of these three factors to approach healthier margins. However, the CSI for neither population reached the normal range, indicating that although physical activity reduces physiological stress levels, other key factors, namely lifestyle stress levels, must also be taken into account.The study supports the notion that increased physical activity has the potential to reduce the predisposition of an individual to cardiovascular disorders and contributes towards establishing the effect of training on heart health by using CSI as a means of measurement.

Effects of Gradual Hypoxia Stress and Forced Swimming on HSP70 Expression in the CA3 Subfield of Hippocampus and Behavior of Different Aged Mice

Article

This study examined heat shock protein 70 expression in the CA3 subfield of hippocampus and exploratory behaviors of different aged mice using gradual hypoxia preconditioning stress and forced swimming stress models. Serum corticosterone and lactic dehydrogenase indicated stress level. The exploratory behaviors in an open field test were observed. The HSP70 expression in the CA3 subfield of hippocampus was measured by immunohistochemical method. The results showed that gradual hypoxia and forced swimming stresses have different effects on behaviors in different aged mice. The forced swimming mice had a longer time of staying in centre square, less square crossing, less vertical movement, and fewer number of stools. The aged gradual hypoxia group displayed less vertical movement and fewer number of stools compared with the aged control group. The result is consistent with the conclusion that forced swimming could induce less exploratory behaviors and a depression state of mice. Gradual hypoxia induced higher level of serum corticosterone than the forced swimming in the young group animals. Both gradual hypoxia and forced swimming induced significant higher level of corticosterone in the aged groups, but there is no significant difference of the concertration of serum corticosterone between the aged stressed groups. The young stressed groups had lower serum LDH than the control group, and the forced swimming induced much lower serum LDH level in both the young and the aged mice. The young control group had significant higher level of serum LDH than that of the aged control group. B oth gradual hypoxia and forced swimming induce higher HSP70 expression in the CA3 subfield of hippocampus; the aged animals had more obvious HSP70 expression after stressed period. The study indicated that the two stress modes had different effects on behaviors and peripheral response to stress, but had the same effect on HSP70 expression in the CA3 subfield of hippocampus in different aged mice. The preconditioning stress could induce higher HSP70 expression to protect body from stress consequence.

Circadian Rhythm of Salivary Cortisol, 17 -Hydroxyprogesterone, and Progesterone in Healthy Children

Article

Oct 2003

Michael Gröschl

Very few reference intervals for salivary steroids in children have been established to date (1). Even the manufacturers of salivary steroid assays do not provide sufficient reference data for their products. This lack of information is surprising because the measurement of salivary steroids has been accepted as being noninvasive and stress-free (2)(3). In particular, psychiatric and neuro-endocrinologic experiments are frequently designed with saliva as the medium of choice for steroid analysis (4)(5)(6). A large variety of stressors can rapidly affect the adrenal cortex, causing increased adrenal steroid concentrations. For example, hypoglycemia (7) or physical exercise (8) are potent physiologic stressors, whereas fear (9), feelings of inferiority (10)(11), or experiences at school (12)(13) can affect the adrenal cortex activity as psychologic stressors. The taking of blood can also influence adrenal steroid concentrations in children; saliva collection, however, is almost stress-free (14). The use of saliva for steroid analysis in children is therefore an excellent alternative to blood. The aim of our study was to establish age-dependent reference values for salivary cortisol, 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17OHP), and progesterone in a large cohort of healthy children. The availability of such reference intervals will improve the applicability of saliva analysis as a diagnostic tool in pediatric endocrinology. We collected 252 saliva profiles from healthy children and adolescents (125 boys; age range, 4 days to 15 years; 127 girls; age range, 6 days to 13 years) with normal body length/height and weight. None of the girls had developed a regular menstrual cycle. The parents of the children gave informed consent. Saliva was collected either with the Salivette®, using polyester swabs (Sarstedt), from children >1 year of age or with modified medical pacifiers (Buttner-Frank; see Fig. 1⇓ in the Data Supplement that accompanies the …

A longitudinal evaluation of the relationship between first morning urinary and salivary cortisol

Article

Full-text available

May 2013
AM J HUM BIOL

Cortisol is one of the most frequently used stress biomarkers in humans. Urine and saliva are the matrices of choice to longitudinally monitor cortisol levels. Salivary and urinary cortisol are often discussed as though they provide similar information. However, the relationship between “free” cortisol levels in urine (nonconjugated) and saliva (non-protein-bound) has yet to be properly evaluated using naturalistic designs. To investigate the longitudinal relationship between salivary cortisol (SC) and first morning urinary cortisol (FMUC), and to compare the advantages and disadvantages of these matrices in assessing longitudinal changes in cortisol secretion using naturalistic designs. Cortisol levels from 31 healthy, Kakchiquel Mayan women in Guatemala were compared in one first morning urine (FMU) and four saliva specimens collected daily across three alternate days. Linear mixed-effect regression models including fixed and random effects were used to analyze the repeated-measures data. FMUC levels (16.04–242.18 ng/ml) were higher than SC levels (0.21–5.16 ng/ml). A small but statistically significant relationship was found between FMUC and SC (each 1 ng/ml increase in FMUC predicted a 0.1% increase in SC; P < 0.05). Nonconjugated FMUC levels are related to non-protein-bound SC levels collected throughout the day. FMU presents several advantages over saliva for the longitudinal assessment of cortisol in naturalistic studies. Cortisol levels are about 53-fold higher in FMU than in saliva, which makes between- and within-individual variation easier to detect, and FMUC levels are less likely to be affected by confounders than diurnal SC levels. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 25:351–358, 2013.

Who is stressed? Comparing cortisol levels between individuals

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2012
AM J HUM BIOL

Cortisol is the most commonly used biomarker to compare physiological stress between individuals. Its use, however, is frequently inappropriate. Basal cortisol production varies markedly between individuals. Yet, in naturalistic studies that variation is often ignored, potentially leading to important biases. Identify appropriate analytical tools to compare cortisol across individuals and outline simple simulation procedures for determining the number of measurements required to apply those methods. We evaluate and compare three alternative methods (raw values, Z-scores, and sample percentiles) to rank individuals according to their cortisol levels. We apply each of these methods to first morning urinary cortisol data collected thrice weekly from 14 cycling Mayan Kaqchiquel women. We also outline a simple simulation to estimate appropriate sample sizes. Cortisol values varied substantially across women (ranges: means: 1.9-2.7; medians: 1.9-2.8; SD: 0.26-0.49) as did their individual distributions. Cortisol values within women were uncorrelated. The accuracy of the rankings obtained using the Z-scores and sample percentiles was similar, and both were superior to those obtained using the cross-sectional cortisol values. Given the interindividual variation observed in our population, 10-15 cortisol measurements per participant provide an acceptable degree of accuracy for across-women comparisons. The use of single raw cortisol values is inadequate to compare physiological stress levels across individuals. If the distributions of individuals' cortisol values are approximately normal, then the standardized ranking method is most appropriate; otherwise, the sample percentile method is advised. These methods may be applied to compare stress levels across individuals in other populations and species.

Piano playing reduces stress more than other creative art activities

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2011

Few studies have been conducted on the physiological effects of creative art activities. In this study, the effects of creative art activities on human stress were investigated, and their effects were compared in 57 healthy college students (27 males and 30 females). Subjects were divided into four groups, each of which participated in 30-minute sessions of one of the following creative activities or a control activity: (1) playing the piano; (2) molding a piece of clay; (3) calligraphy (writing using a brush and ink); and (4) remaining silent (as a control activity). Cortisol levels and the State-trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-I) were measured before and after each session. Post-session cortisol levels were markedly decreased for piano playing, clay molding and calligraphy, indicating a reduction in stress due to participation in creative activities; the effect of piano playing was significantly greater than clay molding and calligraphy. Post-session STAI scores decreased significantly in all groups other than the control group, indicating a reduction in anxiety induced by engaging in creative activities. The psychological and physiological stress-reducing effects of creative activity, particularly playing the piano, were demonstrated. In addition, the role of music education in school in mental health is discussed.

Los factores psicosociales implicados en la cardiopatía isquémica

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2008

Coronary artery disease is one of the most common diseases worldwide and constitutes a significant public health problem with high mortality rates. Studies of risk factors for coronary disease have begun to emphasize the importance of psychosocial factors such as stress, anger/hostility, anxiety, depression, and lack of social support. This review article will define and describe each factor and its relationship with the development and progression of coronary disease. La cardiopatía isquémica es una de las enfermedades más frecuentes a nivel mundial y constituye un importante problema de salud pública debido a sus altas tasas de mortalidad. Dentro de los factores de riesgo para el desarrollo y la progresión de las cardiopatías isquémicas, las investigaciones han comenzado a reconocer la importancia de los factores psicosociales, tales como el estrés, el complejo ira/hostilidad, la ansiedad, la depresión y el bajo apoyo social. Esta revisión teórica busca dar cuenta de las evidencias que apoyan estos factores como elementos importantes de estudio en el desarrollo, curso y desenlace de la cardiopatía isquémica.

A Review of the Effect of the Psychosocial Working Environment on Physiological Changes in Blood and Urine

Article

Jul 2009
BASIC CLIN PHARMACOL

The aim of the present survey was to provide a literary review of current knowledge of the possible association between the psychosocial working environment and relevant physiological parameters measured in blood and urine. Literature databases (PubMed, Toxline, Biosis and Embase) were screened using the key words job, work-related and stress in combination with selected physiological parameters. In total, 51 work place studies investigated the associations between the psychosocial working environment and physiological changes, of which 20 were longitudinal studies and 12 population-based studies. The studied exposures in work place/population-based studies included: job demands (26/8 studies), job control (24/10 studies), social support and/or leadership behaviour (12/3 studies), effort-reward imbalance (three/one studies), occupational changes (four studies), shift work (eight studies), traumatic events (one study) and other (five studies). The physiological responses were catecholamines (adrenaline, noradrenaline) (14 studies), cortisol (28 studies), cholesterol (23 studies), glycated haemoglobinA(1c) (six studies), testosterone (nine studies), oestrogens (three studies), dehydroepiandrosterone (six studies), prolactin (14 studies), melatonin (one study), thyroxin (one study), immunoglobulin (Ig) A (five studies), IgG (four studies), IgM (one study) and fibrinogen (eight studies). In general, fibrinogen and catabolic indicators, defined as energy releasing, were increased, whereas the anabolic indicators defined as constructive building up energy resources were decreased when the psychosocial working environment was perceived as poor. In conclusion, in this review the association between an adverse psychosocial working environment and HbA(1c), testosterone and fibrinogen in serum was found to be a robust and potential candidate for a physiological effect of the psychosocial working environment. Further, urinary catecholamines appear to reflect the effects of shift work and monotonous work.

Urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HP) in environmental and occupational studies-A review

Article

Feb 2008
INT J HYG ENVIR HEAL

A total of 132 studies were identified, of which 25 studies addressed environmental exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the general population. Of these 9 studies included children. Of 101 studies among workers in various occupations, 32 studies were in petrochemical industries, 29 studies in foundries, 14 studies in asphalt work, 21 studies working in urban air, 6 studies in combustion, 3 studies in soil remediation, and 2 studies in printing. Environmental and occupational studies were identified through an extensive search of the PubMed database up to November 2006. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of studies using urinary 1-hydroxypyrene (1-HP) as a biomarker of environmental and occupational exposure to PAHs. Hereby, we aim to support the current validation of 1-HP by summarizing the evidence of specific PAH exposure and1-HP associations in humans.

Neurobiology of the metabolic syndrome: An allostatic perspective

Article

Jun 2008
EUR J PHARMACOL

The metabolic syndrome is a cluster of more or less related metabolic and cardiovascular derangements including visceral obesity, insulin resistance, blood and tissue dislipidemia, high blood pressure and it is often associated with neuroendocrine and immunological dysregulations. The aetiology of this syndrome is clinically highly relevant because it predisposes to life-threatening complications, such as Diabetes Mellitus, kidney failure, cardiovascular disease, and certain types of cancer. Contributing factors include a sedentary life-style combined with increased dietary fat intake and psychosocial stress. From a biological viewpoint, however, the metabolic syndrome can be considered as a maladaptive consequence of an initially successful adaptation to high environmental demands. As opposed to pre-historic times - when environmental demands were usually energy-costly (e.g., fight/flight/hunt) and nutritional resource often inadequate - energy-utilizing actions serve no longer an optimal solution to deal with environmental demands of current human society. This paper describes the interactions between psychosocial stress and nutrition and how these may affect emotional and metabolic components of the metabolic syndrome. A deeper understanding of these interactions is necessary to come to effective treatment and prevention of the metabolic syndrome in the future.

Linking Organizational Stress and Burnout: The Evolution of Times

Chapter

Jun 2023

Stress is a multidimensional and multifaceted phenomenon that reflects and conditions individual and organizational quality of life. However, given specific work contexts in which there are disproportionate demands, lack or reduced support from the organizational structure, dull treatment of employees, lack of recognition, and the existence of a conflictual environment, it leads to relatively high levels of organizational stress. In turn, burnout arises from the crisis in relationships with work. Its main manifestations are emotional and physical exhaustion, cynicism, and professional ineffectiveness, arising from feelings of exhaustion, energy depletion, increased apathy with work, reduced effectiveness, and negativism with the professional routine. In this follow-up, a bibliometric analysis between 1980 and 2022 was conducted to explore the most relevant authors, documents, and journals, the trends identified in the publications, and the collaborations between countries in the field of study.

Molecularly imprinted Monolithic column-based SERS sensor for selective detection of cortisol in dog saliva

Article

May 2022
TALANTA

Molecularly imprinted monolithic column embedded with silver nanoparticles ([email protected]) was synthesized by in-situ polymerization with template and porogen inside capillary tube followed by silver precursor reduction and template/porogen removal for realizing Raman detection of cortisol. Dense silver nanoparticles generated within the monolith makes this kind of column suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) detection, designated as SERS-MIMC. Scanning electron microscopy and BET profiler confirmed larger pore structure in the column after template removal. The corresponding increased mass transfer/binding rate, selective adsorption and adsorptive mechanism of the MIMC were well studied with a series of adsorption experiments. The minimum Raman detectable concentration of cortisol is 1 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹ by using [email protected] with a good linear relationship in the concentration range from 1 × 10⁻³ to 1 × 10⁻⁷ mol L⁻¹. SERS sigmal of cortisol can be clearly distinguished from its analogs (estradiol, cholesterol and dexamethasone), proving the selective recognition of cortisol for SERS detection by [email protected] This ease-to-prepare SERS-MIMC sensor also shows good stability and reusability. The SERS-MIMC has been successfully applied for the easy, sensitive and selective detection of cortisol in dog saliva.

An optical sensing approach for the noninvasive transdermal monitoring of cortisol

Conference Paper

Mar 2016

Cortisol, a biomarker of stress, has recently been shown to have potential in evaluating the physiological state of individuals diagnosed with stress-related conditions including chronic fatigue syndrome. Noninvasive techniques to extract biomarkers from the body are a topic of considerable interest. One such technique to achieve this is known as reverse iontophoresis (RI) which is capable of extracting biomolecules through the skin. Unfortunately, however, the extracted levels are often considerably lower in concentration than those found in blood, thereby requiring a very sensitive analytical method with a low limit of detection. A promising sensing approach, which is well suited to handle such samples, is Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) spectroscopy. When coupled with aptamer modified surfaces, such sensors can achieve both selectivity and the required sensitivity. In this study, fabrication and characterization of a RIbased SPR biosensor for the measurement of cortisol has been developed. The optical mount and diffusion cell were both fabricated through the use of 3D printing techniques. The SPR sensor was configured to employ a prism couplerbased arrangement with a laser generation module and CCD line sensor. Cortisol-specific DNA aptamers were immobilized onto a gold surface to achieve the necessary selectivity. For demonstration purposes, cortisol was extracted by the RI system using a skin phantom flow system capable of generating time dependent concentration profiles. The captured sample was then transported using a micro-fluidic platform from the RI collection site to the SPR sensor for real-time monitoring. Analysis and system control was accomplished within a developed LabVIEW® program.

Psychosocial risks and work-related stress in developing countries: a call for research and action in policy development

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2011

Evelyn Kortum

This research explores the understanding of psychosocial risks and work-related stress by international multi-disciplinary experts in developing countries. It further explores their views on the perceived health impact of these issues. It identifies preliminary priorities for action while considering similarities and differences in conceptualizing these issues in industrialized and developing countries. Finally, it explores in what ways these issues can enter the policy agenda in developing countries. This research applies a triangular methodological approach where each stage provides the basis for the development of the next. It starts out with 29 semi-structured interviews to explore the views of experts and also to inform two rounds of an online Delphi survey, which then informed four focus group discussions. The total sample amounted to 120 participants (each sampled once). Key findings for developing countries indicate that a) psychosocial hazards need addressing due to an impact on workers' health; b) occupational health and safety priorities have changed during the last decade pointing to the need for monitoring of psychosocial hazards and the need to address work-related stress, violence, harassment and unhealthy behaviours together with other workplace hazards; c) socio-economic conditions and processes of globalization need attention in the study of psychosocial hazards and an extended research paradigm is required; and d) there is an ever present need for capacity building, stakeholder mobilization, infrastructure development and international exchange and collaboration to address all workplace hazards. Developing countries are not spared from the health and economic impact of psychosocial risks and work-related stress, and there will be a need to address these issues through policy development. To pave the way, this dissertation outlines a need for concerted action at different levels.

Article

Mar 2015

To examine the association between glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and four subscales of work-related psychosocial stress at study baseline and over time. We used survey data from a major HMO located in the Southeastern part of the US on health and healthy behaviors linked with patients' clinical, pharmacy and laboratory records for the period between 2005 and 2009. Study participants (n=537) consisted of working adults aged 25-59 years, diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM) but without advanced micro or macrovascular complications at the time of the survey. We estimated the baseline (2005) association between HbA1c and work-related psychosocial stress and their interactions using linear regression analysis. Using individual growth model approach, we estimated the association between HbA1c over time and work-related psychosocial stress. Each of the models controlled for socio-demographic variables, diet and physical activity factor, laboratory factor, physical examinations variables and medication use in a hierarchical fashion. After adjusting for all study covariates, we did not find a significant association between work-related psychosocial stress and glycemic control either at baseline or over time. Among fairly healthy middle aged working adults with DM, work-related psychosocial stress was not directly associated with glycemic control. Copyright © 2015 Diabetes India. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Combined workplace stressors and their relationship with mood, physiology, and performance

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2006

The majority of working individuals are exposed to low levels of a large number of potential stressors. Although each is unlikely to be particularly detrimental in itself, such stressors may be harmful cumulatively. The aim of this study was to investigate whether exposures to combinations of stressors were associated with harmful levels on some measures of mood, physiology, and performance. The study was conducted with 84 participants, all employed, mostly “white-collar” workers. A questionnaire was administered and physiological outcome measures were taken on four occasions: before and after work on the first and last days of one working week (repeated measures, within-subjects factor). Workers were categorized as exposed to either: (1) no stressors, (2) temporal stressors only, (3) physical stressors only, or (4) both temporal and physical stressors (between-subjects factor). Data were analysed using mixed design ANOVAs. Key significant between-subjects effects were found for blood pressure and salivary cortisol; participants exposed to a combination of stressors had significantly elevated levels of both. The identified physiological differences are tentatively supported by the literature and can be explained by increased subjective stress levels. Significant differences in performance were not found. This may be explained by methodological issues, or participants’ increased effort expended to perform on the tasks. It is concluded that the consideration of combined (low level) stressors and cumulative exposure is important in assessing the health risk associated with the work environment.

The New Science of Sex Difference

Article

Apr 2013

Lisa D. Wade

While scientists across the academy have abandoned the nature/nurture dichotomy, evidence for the influences of society on our biology is greater than ever. This article reviews new developments in the biological sciences – in the sub-fields of genetics, hormones, and neuroscience – with special attention to the implications for sociologists interested in gender. The article closes with an argument that embracing these developments has both theoretical and methodological promise and can enhance rather than harm research and activism regarding gender equality and other social hierarchies.

Case Study: Macedonian Human DNA Bank (hDNAMKD) as a source for public health Genetics

Article

Full-text available

Morphopathological changes and pain in beak trimmed laying hens

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2006
WORLD POULTRY SCI J

Heng W Cheng

Beak trimming is routinely practiced in the poultry industry to reduce the incidence of feather pecking, aggression, and cannibalism in egg layers. Feather pecking is painful to birds and potentially induces cannibalism. Cannibalism happens in all current housing environments, cage- and free-production systems, and is one of the major causes of bird death in commercial laying hens without beak trimming. However, beak trimming has solicited a great deal of debate concerning the relative advantage and disadvantage of the practice and its impact on welfare. Abird's beak is a complex functional organ with an extensive nerve supply and various sensory receptors. Beak trimming may cause pain (acute, chronic, orboth) in trimmed birds due to tissue damage and nerve injury. The complexity and plasticity of the nervous system and the animal's inability to communicate verbally make pain difficult to measure directly. However, pain in animals can be recognized and assessed using physiological and behavioural parameters in response to noxious events. When evaluating whether an animal is experiencing pain, a distinction should be made between what an animal may feel and what a human observing the animal may feel. It should be noted that beak trimming-induced pain in birds is genetic-, lesion-, and age-dependent. Based on the updated information, the authorwould like to indicate that 1 with some genetic flocks of laying hens, if beak trimming is needed to prevent featherpecking and cannibalism, it should be conducted at hatchery oryoungerthan 10 days of age; 2 however, the most desirable approach is to eliminate beak trimming through a genetic selection of birds with less cannibalistic and aggressive tendencies, and 3 another solution is to develop an alternative means of trimming that has fewer painful implications and safeguards welfare before non-cannibalistic stocks are commercially available.

Health Determinants in the Scope of New Public Health

Book

Full-text available

Jan 2005

Is Adrenal Exhaustion Synonym of Syndrome Burnout at Workplace?

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2012

The objective of this study is the assessment of the association of burnout syndrome with adrenal exhaustion specific symptoms and signs among 116 patients who were exposed to violence or mobbing at workplace and who were treated during 2005 to 2008 in Department of Occupational Pathology and Toxicology Tuzla; to detect symptoms and signs of adrenal exhaustion differences between patients who were exposed to act of violence as acute catastrophic event and patients who were long-term exposed to mobbing or chronic distress at workplace. Data of 86 employees who were exposed to mobbing > 1 years (chronic distress syndrome) and data of 30 employees who were exposed to act of violence as acute traumatic crisis situation (evaluation in first week after acute stress situation and post control observation 6 months later). TOOLS FOR ASSESSMENT WERE CLINICAL EXAMINATION AND QUESTIONNAIRES: Occupational stress questionnaire (OSQ short version), self-constructed Questionnaire about symptoms and signs of Adrenal exhaustion; self-constructed mobbing questionnaire; and Maslach--Burnout Inventory. The patients expressed their traumatic experiences during exposure to stress more than 1 year (long-term exposure) which were compared with acute stress experiences (mostly high level of stress intensity. when workers constant expose to repeat mobbing behavior or have perception of extended distress reaction after act of violence at workplace they are suffering of Syndrome burnout and clinical picture of adrenal fatigue.

The impact of genetics and genomics on public health

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2007

Public health practice has to date concerned itself with environmental or social determinants of health and disease and has paid scant attention to genomic variations within the population. The advances brought about by genomics are changing these perceptions. In the long run, this knowledge will enable health promotion messages and disease prevention programmes to be specifically directed at susceptible individuals and families, or at subgroups of the population, based on their genomic risk profile. As the controversial discourse in science and health politics shows, the integration of genomics into public health research, policy and practice is one of the major challenges that our health-care system is currently facing.Keywords: public health genomics, genetics, genomics and population health, prevention, health policy, inequalities in health and social exclusion, public health ethics

Public health aspects of non-ionizing radiation

Chapter

Full-text available

Jan 2005

Elisaveta Stikova

Epidemiological approaches to measure childhood stress

Article

May 2012
PAEDIATR PERINAT EP

Vanaelst B, De Vriendt T, Huybrechts I, Rinaldi S, De Henauw S. Epidemiological approaches to measure childhood stress. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology 2012; 26: 280–297. The prevalence of childhood stress has repeatedly been shown to be high, with ‘parental separation’ and ‘being bullied at school’ as the most frequently reported stressors in the child's everyday life. This is quite alarming as children are most vulnerable to the adverse psychological and physiological health consequences of chronic stress exposure. Despite growing research interest in this field over the last years, literature falls short in providing an overview of methods to adequately assess stress in elementary school children (6–12 years old). This review describes questionnaires and interviews, as well as laboratory measurements of cortisol in biological samples (serum, urine, saliva and hair) as stress assessment methods in children, with the emphasis on epidemiological research settings. Major characteristics, strengths and limitations of these methods are established, examples of child-specific stressor questionnaires and interviews are provided and specific recommendations with respect to epidemiological research are formulated. In addition, hair cortisol as a potential biomarker for chronic stress (in children) is discussed more thoroughly. This review is meant to serve as a preliminary guide for health researchers new to this research area by reflecting on theoretical and methodological aspects in childhood stress assessment.

Demonstration of the correlation between salivary cortisol concentration and post-operative healing times following nail avulsion

Article

Jun 2006
Foot

K. J. Davies

Twenty-eight subjects complaining of nail disorders were randomly selected over a period of three months. Each subject underwent either partial or a total nail avulsion with phenolisation under local anaesthesia. Subjects underwent weekly follow-up appointments to debride any eschar or callosity from the wound site. Following debridement post-operative healing was assessed. Post-operative healing was recorded as the period when there was no further discharge evident and there was normal healthy epidermis at the site of the wound.Saliva samples were collected from each subject. Salivary cortisol concentration was determined by radioimmunoassay of the samples. Three samples were collected for each subject, the first at the initial assessment, the second immediately prior to the administration of the local anaesthesia and the third 20 min after the second sample.Salivary cortisol concentration was compared with post-operative healing times. It was found that as the mean salivary cortisol concentration increased, there was an associated increase in the post-operative healing times following the nail surgery, r = 0.84. Cortisol in excess has been found to suppress immunological and anti-inflammatory responses. Increases in salivary cortisol concentrations may indicate a greater inflammatory response. It is likely that this response suppresses the post-operative healing times following nail surgery.

Mechanisms of aggression and production in chickens: Genetic variations in the functions of serotonin, catecholamine, and corticosterone

Article

Jun 2007
WORLD POULTRY SCI J

The neuroendocrine systems, such as dopamine (DA) and serotonin (5-HT) as well as corticosterone (CORT), are involved in regulating behavioural patterns and reproduction in humans and other mammals. Similar functions of neuroendocrine system may present in laying hens. To test the hypothesis, two divergent chicken lines were used in the study. Each line has distinct levels of aggressiveness and productivity at a group setting and exhibits differen susceptibility to various environmental stressors. We found that, at 21 wks of age, LGPS (Low Group Productivity and Survivability) birds had significantly higher blood concentrations of DA and epinephrine than the KGB birds (Kind Gentle Birds, also previously termed HGPS, birds with a High Group Productivity and Survivability) (P<0.01, respectively). The blood concentration of norepinephrine was not significantly different between the lines but the ratio of epinephrine to norepinephrine was higher in LGPS birds (P<0.01). The blood concentration of 5-HT was also significantly higher in LGPS birds compared to KGB birds (P<0.01). In contrast, KGB birds tended to have a higher level of blood CORT (P=0.1). The results suggest that genetic selection for productivity and survivability with domestic behaviours alters the birds' neuroendocrine homeostasis. The selection-associated plasticity of the neuroendocrine system in controlling animal aggression and productivity were discussed in the article.

Acute stress and depression 3 days after vaginal delivery - Observational, comparative study

Article

Full-text available

Jun 2009

During the first month postpartum, 85% of women experience some form of mood disorders. The most common are: postpartum blues, non-psychotic postpartum depression, puerperal psychosis. Delivery of a child can be traumatic for some women. Several authors have found that women could get symptoms of one form of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after childbirth. However, etiology of established postpartum disorders is still unknown. The aim of this study is to detect symptoms of acute stress reaction and acute depressive state as a consequence of peripartal complications, as early as three days postpartum using Impact of Events Scale revised (IES-R) and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) questionnaires and to demonstrate their potential usage for the early detection of vulnerable mothers with greater risk to develop any of postpartum psychiatric disorder, including PTSD. For that purpose 103 subjects, without previous medical history of psychiatric illness, were included in the investigation. Long duration of delivery (> or = 12 h), very painful delivery, complication and illness of mother during and after delivery as a consequence of delivery, preterm delivery (before week 36) and/or illness of the child (as a consequence of delivery or congenital) are considered to be risk factors for acute stress reaction and acute depressive state after delivery. Sixty one out of 103 investigated mothers had one or more researched peripartal complications. A statistically significant difference has been found between the control (n=42) and the peripartal complications (n=61) groups in both the mean IES-R (4.67 +/- 5.43 and 13.50 +/- 14.12, respectively, p < 0.01) as well as in the mean EPDS (3.85 +/- 2.76 and 7.03 +/- 3.90, respectively, p < 0.01) scores. Additionally, while there were 4 cases of acute stress reactions and 3 cases of acute depressive state in the peripartal complications group there were no cases of these states in the control group. Based on our findings we conclude that using IES-R and EPDS questionnaires as early as three days after delivery could provide an early detection of previously healthy mothers with greater risk for development of postpartum psychiatric disorders.

Chronic stress and obesity in adolescents: Scientific evidence and methodological issues for epidemiological research

Article

May 2009

This review describes the role of chronic stress in the development of obesity and available methodologies for the assessment of chronic stress in humans, in particular adolescents, with the aim of developing a feasible methodology to implement in an epidemiological study. Chronic stress seems to be associated with the aetiology of obesity by interacting with both mechanisms of energy intake (increase of appetite and energy intake) and expenditure (decrease of physical activity) and by stimulating visceral fat accumulation in favour of abdominal obesity. However, more research is necessary to unravel the underlying mechanisms of the obesity-inducing effects of chronic stress, especially in adolescents. In addition to experimental research, epidemiological observational studies, in particular cohort studies, are appropriate given their non-intervening character, lower budgetary costs and natural setting. In practice, stress can be assessed by means of either a subjective approach using stressor checklists or interviews, or an objective approach measuring biomarkers of stress. In epidemiological research in adolescents, a combination of both strategies is recommended, with a preference for a general stressor checklist for adolescents and measurement of salivary cortisol, one of the most used and well-characterized biomarkers of stress. This review provides basic evidence for the positive association between chronic stress and obesity, but also points out the need for more research in adolescents to further elucidate the role of chronic stress in the aetiology of obesity in this crucial life period. Good, well-standardized epidemiological surveys could be of great benefit in this research area.

Rapid ultrasensitive measurement of salivary cortisol using nano-linker chemistry coupled with surface plasmon resonance detection

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2009
ANALYST

Cortisol detection in saliva is of great interest for the diagnosis of various disease states and the monitoring of stress in humans. Currently, measurements are performed predominantly by radioimmunoassay (RIA) which is expensive, labour intensive, uses hazardous radioisotopes and involves extensive delays in obtaining results. A rationally designed cortisol-linker conjugate allowing high assay sensitivity was employed as a coating antigen in a microfluidic surface plasmon resonance (SPR) biosensor immunoassay for the ultrasensitive and rapid detection of salivary cortisol. Detection of cortisol is by competitive immunoassay using a secondary antibody for signal enhancement. The method requires no chemical extraction or complex sample pre-treatment despite high saliva viscosity. The cortisol assay was optimized for maximum sensitivity in buffer before being adapted for the salivary matrix, where it showed a limit of detection of 49 pg/mL. The results showed good correlation to RIA (r = 0.94). The biosensor assays showed an inter-assay coefficient of variation (CV) of 13.5% and recoveries close to 100%. The covalently immobilized sensor surface provided stable responses for more than 140 binding and regeneration cycles, enabling re-use. Cortisol in saliva was detected across the physiologically relevant range using the SPR immunobiosensor by employing a rationally designed assay format including signal enhancement for maximum sensitivity. The system can handle saliva matrix effects by use of chemical treatment during the assay to reduce non-specific binding to sensor surfaces. This sensor system provides an automated, high sensitivity analytical tool capable of yielding results in approximately 15 min. This biosensor could potentially be used for active stress-monitoring and in the diagnosis of disease.

Public health professionals and interpersonal violence

Article

Full-text available

Oct 1997
EPIDEMIOLOGY

Functional assessment of the elderly

Article

Oct 1997
Nurse Pract Forum

Mary Ann Matteson

Functional levels, Orem's levels of self-care abilities, and need for services of 20 low income elders living in a senior housing project were assessed. The majority of the subjects were at Orem's supportive educative level in the areas of social resources and mental health, and partly compensatory in the areas of economic resources, physical health, and activities of daily living. As expected in a community setting, very few were in the wholly compensatory level. Service needs fell primarily in the partly compensatory level. The results suggest that there is a continuum of needs in this population, and that functional assessment of older adults is an important component of nursing practice in a primary care setting.

Induction and maintenance of gastric ulcers in horses in simulated race training

Article

May 1999
EQUINE VET J

Gastric ulceration is a prevalent condition of racehorses. A number of models of gastric ulceration have been described, but none mimic the conditions of a horse in training. The objectives of this study were to determine whether gastric ulcers could be induced and maintained in a group of horses in simulated race training. In addition, serum cortisol was measured on a weekly basis to investigate the possibility that stress may be important in the pathogenesis of gastric ulceration. Thirty horses used in the trial were fed Bermuda grass hay and 6 kg of a concentrate diet, and exercised 6 days/week at speed over a distance of 1.6-2.4 km. Serum was collected and gastroendoscopic examinations performed on a weekly basis for the duration of the trial. All horses developed moderate to severe ulceration, and ulcers were maintained for the 56 day period of the trial. Only one horse had signs of abdominal discomfort, which resolved with minimal symptomatic treatment and without the use of anti-ulcer medications. Serum cortisol remained within reference ranges for the duration of the trial. Although there was some variation between the weekly examinations, serum cortisol concentrations were decreased from values obtained at the start of the trial. In this study ulcers developed without the administration of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents or withholding of feed. This model provides a method to study the condition, and to investigate the effects of medications on the healing of ulcers in racehorses.

A tyrosine hydroxylase microsatellite and hemodynamic response to stress in a multi-ethnic sample of youth

Article

Mar 2003

Behavioral stress is believed to have an impact on cardiovascular health. As the rate-limiting enzyme in the pathway for catecholamine synthesis, tyrosine hydroxylase is a candidate gene for variability in cardiovascular function. The aim of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between a tyrosine hydroxylase microsatellite and resting hemodynamic function, and/or hemodynamic responsivity to laboratory stress. Subjects underwent 2 laboratory stressors: a video game challenge and a social competence interview. The stressors were administered in a laboratory setting. Subjects were 292 10- to 20-year-old normotensive African-American and European-American twin pairs. Blood pressure (BP) and heart rate (HR) were measured at rest and in response to the stressors. Chi-square analyses using re-sampling to account for the twin design indicated that allele and genotype frequencies were significantly different between European Americans and African Americans (P < or = .0001). Analyses of variance indicated that the 184 and 199 bp alleles were associated with an attenuation of the hemodynamic response to stress with increasing age (P < or = .003, P < or = .002, respectively), while the 188 bp allele was associated with a higher resting systolic blood pressure (SBP) (P < or = .02), and greater hemodynamic response to stress with increasing BMI (P < or = .02). This study showed that in a multi-ethnic sample of normotensive adolescents, specific alleles of this tyrosine hydroxylase microsatellite were associated with protective or deleterious cardiovascular effects with subjects at rest and responding to stress.

Determination of C-Reactive Protein: Comparison of Three High-Sensitivity Immunoassays

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2003

Atherosclerosis is an inflammatory condition (1), and progression to atherothrombotic events is associated with systemic evidence of low-grade inflammation. Circulating concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP) within the range previously considered to be normal have been shown to predict future cardiovascular events independently in initially healthy individuals as well as in patients with manifest atherosclerotic disease, even in the absence of hyperlipidemia (2)(3)(4). The detection of such subclinical inflammation requires high-sensitivity methods for CRP measurement. Recently, we reported on the analytical performance of a new sensitive solid-phase monoclonal-polyclonal IRMA (5). This assay has a very low analytical detection limit of 0.05 mg/L, and in a cohort study, CRP determined by this method showed a strong linear association with future coronary endpoints (4). Here we compare the performance of the IRMA specifically designed to evaluate the low CRP range with that of an ultrasensitive latex-enhanced immunonephelometric test and an immunoturbidimetric assay in a large case–control study. Additionally, we estimated the risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) given an increased CRP concentration as determined by the three assays. The cases consisted of 312 patients 40–68 years of age with clinically stable CAD, who underwent elective coronary angiography in the Department of Cardiology at the University of Ulm Medical Centre and who had one or more epicardial coronary stenoses of ≥50% in luminal diameter. Voluntary blood donors (n = 476) from the local blood bank served as controls. In these individuals, symptomatic CAD was excluded by the Rose questionnaire. Venous blood was obtained under standardized conditions in the morning before diagnostic coronary angiography in cases and after blood donation in controls. EDTA-plasma specimens were centrifuged at 3000 g for 10 min, immediately aliquoted, and frozen at −70 °C until analysis. Cases and controls were “frequency matched” by age and gender, …

Mental Stress and Coronary Artery Disease: A Multidisciplinary Guide

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2006
PROG CARDIOVASC DIS

Research suggests that acute and chronic stress are risk factors for the development and progression of coronary artery disease. Much of this work is multidisciplinary, using unfamiliar concepts deriving from disciplines other than cardiology and medicine. This article addresses and clarifies, for the cardiologist, some of the key concepts and issues in this area and provides an overview of evidence linking acute and chronic stress to cardiac pathology. Areas addressed include definitions and measurement of mental stress, methodological issues in stress research, and distinctions between stress and variables such as personality, emotion, and depression. Mental stress is a multifactorial process involving the environment, individual experiences and coping, and a set of neuroendocrine, autonomic, cardiovascular, and other systemic physiologic responses. There are difficulties identifying a single consensus physiologic stress measure because of individual differences in perceptions and physiologic response patterns. Nonetheless, important associations exist between mental stress and clinically relevant cardiovascular end points. As multidisciplinary research in this area continues, one major goal is the better integration of psychosocial knowledge and measures with cardiology research and practice.

Biomarkers of intermediate endpoints in environmental and occupational health

Article

Jun 2007
INT J HYG ENVIR HEAL

The use of biomarkers in environmental and occupational health is increasing due to increasing demands on information about health risks from unfavourable exposures. Biomarkers provide information about individual loads. Biomarkers of intermediate endpoints benefit in comparison with biomarkers of exposure from the fact that they are closer to the adverse outcome in the pathway from exposure to health effects and may provide powerful information for intervention. Some biomarkers are specific, e.g., DNA and protein adducts, while others are unspecific like the cytogenetic biomarkers of chromosomal aberrations (CA), sister chromatid exchanges and micronuclei (MN).

The rate of urinary cortisol excretion at work is persistently elevated in women at familial risk for breast cancer

Article

Jul 2008
AM J HUM BIOL

We recently reported that healthy women at familial risk for breast cancer (FH+) have higher urinary cortisol levels at work than women without familial risk (FH-). The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether this group difference persisted over a 1-month period. Subjects were healthy women (FH+, N = 42, age = 37.6 +/- 9.3, FH-, N = 93, age 38.4 +/- 9.0) employed primarily in clerical or technical positions at three medical centers in New York City who collected timed urine samples in three contrasting daily environments, at work ( approximately 11AM-3PM), home (approximately 6PM-10PM) and during sleep (approximately 10PM-6AM) on 2 mid-week workdays approximately 1 month apart. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed that cortisol excretion differed across the environments (P < 0.001), and that there was also a significant interaction between daily environment and family history group (P < 0.049), such that FH+ women maintained higher cortisol excretion at work over the 2 days than FH- women. A Bland-Altman plot showed that both overall and by family history group, the rate of cortisol excretion at work was generally reproducible, although there was a heteroscadasticity in the relationship that likely reflected excessive stressfulness on one of the study days in a small minority of subjects. These results suggest that the presence of a potent background stressor (familial breast cancer risk) can influence more acute cortisol responses in daily life over time.

Interactive Effects of Behavior and Reproductive Hormones on Sex Differences in Risk for Coronary Heart Disease

Article

Full-text available

Jan 1989

Karen A. Matthews

It is well known that women in the United States, as in most industrialized countries in the world, are protected from coronary heart disease (CHD), relative to men. It is thought that this protection is by and large due to the effects of female reproductive hormones (i.e., estrogens) on lipid and lipoprotein metabolism and blood pressure, although women’s relatively low rates of cigarette smoking are also thought to play a role. However, epidemiological studies that statistically adjust for sex differences in lipids, blood pressure, and smoking status cannot explain sex differences in CHD morbidity and mortality. Also, inconsistent with a simple main-effect model of reproductive hormones are data showing elevated risk of myocardial infarction and stroke among women who use oral contraceptives. Men who are prescribed estrogens have elevated risk of CHD, and case-control studies show that male CHD patients have elevated estradiol, compared to controls. This article suggests that simple main-effect models of female protection from CHD are inadequate. It argues that reproductive hormones are important determinants of protection from CHD, in interaction with behavioral characteristics. It also demonstrates that reproductive hormones can influence behavioral characteristics and that behavioral characteristics can influence the effects of reproductive hormones on CHD risk factors. Key words: coronary heart disease (CHD), sex differences, behavior, reproductive hormones

Plasma catecholamine response and autonomic functions during short-time psychological stress

Article

Jan 1980

Psychosocial stress and cell-mediated immune function: Validation of a blood spot method for Epstein-Barr virus antibodies

Article

Jan 1997

Hormone changes in stress

Article

Apr 1987
Stress Med

Typically stressors produce rises in catecholamines, ACTH, cortisol, growth hormone, prolactin and vasopressin. These are accompanied by falls in testosterone and thyroid hormones. Adrenaline is probably the immediate stress-responsive hormone, increasing arousal, inducing metabolic changes and affecting haematological factors in preparation for the ‘fight or flight’ response. Cortisol seems to be the most useful hormone to monitor graded responses to a variety of stressors, its actions including anti-inflammatory. counter-regulatory fuel metabolism, salt and water handling and cardiovascular support. Differing physical stressors influence the hypothalamic glucocorticoid feedback-responsive centres in differing ways. It seems likely that the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) may be a simple measure of stress response and not of depression. The future for research into mechanisms of stress responses would appear to be rather brighter than that for the DST in depression.

Modeling Biocultural Interactions: Examples from Studies of Stress And Cardiovascular Disease

Article

Jan 1995
AM J PHYS ANTHROPOL

William Dressler

Anthropology, as a unified science of human existence, seeks to understand a variety of influences and outcomes in the process of human adaptation. In that there is a complex interaction between human behavior and human biology in this process, the integration of theory and method to incorporate social, cultural, and biological variables in research design is of paramount importance. This integration has been, at best, imperfect. The aim of this paper is to review specific examples of research in one substantive area–cardiovascular health–as a way of examining some of the general theoretical and methodological issues involved. Seven general principles regarding the integration of social, cultural, and biological variables in research design are discussed. These include: (1) the ethnographic critique of theory; (2) connecting theory and ethnography through measurement; (3) the specification of data-analytic models; (4) the use of multivariable models; (5) improving sampling and replication; (6) the use of analytic diagnostics; and, (7) employing multilevel analyses. It is argued that, by paying closer attention to these issues of theory and method, the construction of biocultural models in anthropological research can be improved. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Mental stress and gastric acid secretion

Article

Aug 1990

In 14 healthy male volunteers, we studied the influence of acute mental (=psychological) stress induced by performing mental arithmetic and solving anagrams against a financial reward on endogenously stimulated gastric acid output. Personality factors were determined by the Personality Research Form. Acute mental stress significantly (P<0.05) increased systolic blood pressure (+8.9±2.0 mm Hg±sem) and heart rate (+5.3±1.6 beatslmin). The mean gastric acid output during the mental stress period (17.9±2.7 mmol/32 min) did not significantly differ from pre- (16.9±2.3 mmol/32 min) and poststress (18.1±2.2 mmol/32 min) values. However, detailed analysis revealed that mental stress induced contrary changes of gastric acid output in different subjects. About half the individuals reacted with a decrease (up to 60%) and the other half with an increase (up to 60%) in acid output. In some individuals the changes of gastric acid output were very small. By multiple correlations, impulsivity was identified as the personality trait with the highest correlation coefficient (r=0.82) with changes of gastric acid output during the acute mental stress period. During the mental stress period, gastric acid output increased in subjects with high scores on the impulsivity scale, but significantly decreased in those with low scores. We conclude that (1) there is a great individual variability in gastric acid response to acute mental stress, and (2) this variability may be partly attributed to differences in personality traits.

Endocrine stress responses of drivers in a 'real-life' heavy-goods vehicle driving task

Article

Feb 1979
PSYCHONEUROENDOCRINO

Some determinants of population variation in cortisol levels in a British urban community

Article

Nov 1992

Urinary cortisol excretion rates were determined from three urine samples given over 2 days, a rest day and a working day, by 51 men and 50 women. Each subject also completed a questionnaire relating to life style factors and to perceived levels of stress, busyness and happiness on each day. In men, an association between raised cortisol and high levels of stress was found. In women, high levels of busyness were associated with low cortisol excretion rates. The subjective experiences measured accounted for around 10-20% of cortisol variation in this naturalistic setting.

Urinary catecholamines and stress in male and female police cadets

Article

May 1986

Urinary catecholamine levels in male and female State Police cadets were studied at monthly intervals over a five-month training period to compare responses to occupational stress. Under these closely matched conditions, the females were found to have significantly lower adrenaline levels than the males, as well as a smaller range of response. These differences were consistent for each of the five months. While there was a significant trend for female noradrenaline values to be higher than those for males across the five month period, female values were significantly higher than male values on only one of the five monthly test dates. There were no differences between males and females in range of noradrenaline excretion. These results suggest that compared to males, female urinary adrenaline levels are less reactive to stress. Moreover, this difference between males and females is not attributable to disparities in external stressors or social factors.

Hormonal responses to graded mental workload

Article

Feb 1986
Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol

Three mental arithmetic tests of graded difficulty were presented to eight young male volunteers on consecutive days. The effort compensation patterns were investigated using urinary catecholamines and salivary cortisol. A significant increase in adrenaline excretion was found in response to all three tests. Urinary adrenaline was partially graded according to the level of difficulty of the tests. The response patterns to mental workload also included a significantly lower noradrenaline/adrenaline ratio and a higher adrenaline/dopamine ratio after the tests. No significant increase was found after the tests for noradrenaline and dopamine. Changes in salivary cortisol concentration during the tests were graded with respect to test difficulty between the easiest and both of the more difficult tests. Salivary cortisol concentration changes are proposed as the basis for field observations involving mental workload. It is concluded that mental workload causes distinguishable effort compensation patterns and that under certain conditions urinary adrenaline and salivary cortisol allow one to distinguish different mental workload levels.

Mental task-induced strain and its after-effect assessed through variations in plasma cortisol levels

Article

Oct 1985
BIOL PSYCHOL

Plasma cortisol levels were measured in 20 healthy men while they carried out mental tasks in intermittent noise. Half the subjects performed a serial short-term memory task and, later on, a multiple-choice task, whereas the other half performed only the multiple-choice task. The aim of the experiment was to determine whether enhanced cortisol release, due to a centrally mediated arousal reaction, depressed the cortisol level when the subjects had to cope with a new task situation. In a previous study, such a regulatory after-effect was revealed in the midday meal-related cortisol peak, but not in a subsequent exercise-induced cortisol peak, although cortisol release in both cases could be related to metabolic changes. The results showed that the second mental task still induced a pronounced rise in cortisol levels. No changes in task performances were found. It is concluded that different regulatory mechanisms are involved in adrenocortical secretion, depending on the origin of the stimulation, and that cortisol responses are closely related to individual coping abilities and strategies.

Differences in catecholamine excretion rates, blood pressure and lifestyle among young Western Samoan Men

Article

Jan 1986

Comparisons of the rates of urinary catecholamine (epinephrine and norepinephrine) excretion and blood pressure overnight and at mid-morning are examined among four groups of young Samoan men in Western Samoa. The groups include 31 rural agriculturalists and 28 manual laborers, 33 sedentary workers, and 31 college students from the urban area of Apia. Correlations among the variables are also calculated from the total sample (N = 123) using multiple analysis of variance techniques. Results of the catecholamine comparisons show that overnight, the villagers and laborers have similar excretion rates for both compounds and that the rates of these groups are generally lower than those of the sedentary workers and students (p < .05). At mid-morning and on average (overnight + mid-morning), the villagers have significantly lower excretion rates (p < .002 and p < .025) than any of the Apia groups. The villagers also have significantly lower systolic pressure (p < .05) on any reading than the sedentary workers and students, and significantly lower mid-morning systolic pressure than the laborers. Correlational analysis shows that norepinephrine is significantly associated with systolic pressure (p < .05), and that this association is diminished when adjusted for the differences among the groups. It is suggested that the lifestyles and environment of the villagers are less stressful than those of the urban groups, and that the increased blood pressure of the more westernized urban groups may result from the stress of lifestyle change.

Capabilities of compact analyzers for decentralized testing of lipids and lipoproteins

Article

Sep 1994
Atherosclerosis

G. Russell Warnick

Advances in compact analyzer technology have provided the capability to move laboratory testing to the patient, the bedside, the physician office, wellness sites and even into the home. The future has arrived in the sense that lipid testing can be performed in a simple manner similar to blood pressure testing with results immediately available to facilitate treatment decisions. The realities of access and utilization as well as the rate of future technology developments will be determined to a large degree by government regulatory and reimbursement decisions.

Physiological Consequences of Everyday Psychosocial Stress

Abstract

No full-text available

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