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Cross-Sectional Relationship Between Chronic Stress and Mineral Concentrations in Hair of Elementary School Girls

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Abstract

Chronic stress exposure is associated with diverse negative health outcomes. It has been hypothesised that stress may also negatively affect the body's mineral status. This study investigates the association between chronic stress and long-term mineral concentrations of calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), magnesium (Mg), phosphorus (P) and zinc (Zn) in scalp hair among elementary school girls. Complete information on child-reported stress estimates (Coddington Life Events Scale (CLES)), hair cortisone and hair mineral concentrations, and predefined confounders in the stress–mineral relationship (i.e. age, body mass index, physical activity, diet, hair colour and parental education) was provided cross-sectionally for 140 girls (5–10 years old). The relationship between childhood stress measures (predictor) and hair minerals (outcome) was studied using linear regression analysis, adjusted for the abovementioned confounders. Hair cortisone concentrations were inversely associated with hair mineral concentrations of Ca, Mg, Zn and the Ca/P ratio. Children at risk by life events (CLES) presented an elevated Ca/Mg ratio. These findings were persistent after adjustment for confounders. This study demonstrated an independent association between chronic stress measures and hair mineral levels in young girls, indicating the importance of physiological stress–mineral pathways independently from individual or behavioural factors. Findings need to be confirmed in a more heterogeneous population and on longitudinal basis. The precise mechanisms by which stress alters hair mineral levels should be further elucidated.

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Acknowledgments

The project was financed by the European Community within the Sixth RTD Framework Program contract no. 016181 (FOOD) and the research council of Ghent University (Bijzonder Onderzoeksfonds). Barbara Vanaelst, Lieve Balcaen and Maite Aramendia are financially supported by the Research Foundation—Flanders (grant nos. 1.1.894.11.N.00, 1.2.031.09.N.01 and 1.2.031.09.N.01, respectively). Nathalie Michels is financially supported by the research council of Ghent University (Bijzonder onderzoeksfonds). María R. Flórez is financially supported by Gent University (project BOF 01SB0309) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (project CTQ2009-08606). The authors wish to thank the ChiBS children and their parents who generously volunteered and participated in this project.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Public Health, Ghent University, De Pintelaan 185, 2 block A, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Barbara Vanaelst, Nathalie Michels, Inge Huybrechts, Els Clays & Stefaan De Henauw

  2. Research Foundation—Flanders (FWO), Egmontstraat 5, 1000, Brussels, Belgium

    Barbara Vanaelst, Lieve Balcaen & Maite Aramendia

  3. Dietary Exposure Assessment Group, International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC/WHO), 150 Cours Albert Thomas, 69372, Lyon CEDEX 08, France

    Inge Huybrechts

  4. Department of Analytical Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281, S12, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Maria R. Flórez, Lieve Balcaen & Frank Vanhaecke

  5. Department of Analytical Chemistry, University of Zaragoza, c/ Pedro Cerbuna 12, 50009, Zaragoza, Spain

    Maria R. Flórez & Martin Resano

  6. Centro Universitario de la Defensa–Academia General Militar de Zaragoza, Carretera de Huesca s/n, 50090, Zaragoza, Spain

    Maite Aramendia

  7. Department of Toxicology, Institute of Legal Medicine, University of Strasbourg, 11 Rue Humann, 67085, Strasbourg, France

    Noellie Rivet & Jean-Sebastien Raul

  8. BIPS Institute for Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Achterstrasse 30, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    Anne Lanfer

  9. Department of Health Sciences, Vesalius, University College Ghent, Keramiekstraat 80, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Stefaan De Henauw

  10. Department of Public Health, Ghent University, University Hospital, Block A, 2nd floor, De Pintelaan 185, 9000, Ghent, Belgium

    Barbara Vanaelst

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  1. Barbara Vanaelst
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  2. Nathalie Michels
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  3. Inge Huybrechts
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  4. Els Clays
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  5. Maria R. Flórez
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  6. Lieve Balcaen
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  7. Martin Resano
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  8. Maite Aramendia
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  9. Frank Vanhaecke
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  10. Noellie Rivet
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  11. Jean-Sebastien Raul
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  12. Anne Lanfer
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  13. Stefaan De Henauw
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Barbara Vanaelst.

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Laboratory information

Elemental hair analysis: Atomic & Mass Spectrometry (A&MS) research unit, Department of Analytical Chemistry, Ghent University, Krijgslaan 281–S12, 9000 Ghent, Belgium

http://www.analchem.ugent.be/A&MS/

Hair cortisone determination: Toxicology Laboratory, Institute of Legal Medicine, Strasbourg University, 11 Rue Humann, 67085 Strasbourg Cedex, France

http://www-ulpmed.u-strasbg.fr/iml/laboratoire.htm

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Vanaelst, B., Michels, N., Huybrechts, I. et al. Cross-Sectional Relationship Between Chronic Stress and Mineral Concentrations in Hair of Elementary School Girls. Biol Trace Elem Res 153, 41–49 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12011-013-9647-2

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