A cross-sectional study observing the association of psychosocial stress and dietary intake with gut microbiota genera and alpha diversity among a young adult cohort of black and white women in Birmingham, Alabama.

BACKGROUND: The relationships between psychosocial stress and diet with gut microbiota composition and diversity deserve ongoing investigation. The primary aim of this study was to examine the associations of psychosocial stress measures and dietary variables with gut microbiota genera abundance and alpha diversity among young adult, black and white females. The secondary aim was to explore mediators of psychosocial stress and gut microbiota diversity and abundance. METHODS: Data on 60 females who self-identified as African American (AA; n = 29) or European American (EA; n = 31) aged 21-45 years were included. Cortisol was measured in hair and saliva, and 16S analysis of stool samples were conducted. Discrimination experiences (recent and lifetime), perceived stress, and depression were evaluated based on validated instruments. Spearman correlations were performed to evaluate the influence of psychosocial stressors, cortisol measures, and dietary variables on gut microbiota genus abundance and alpha diversity measured by amplicon sequence variant (ASV) count. Mediation analyses assessed the role of select dietary variables and cortisol measures on the associations between psychosocial stress, Alistipes and Blautia abundance, and ASV count. RESULTS: AA females were found to have significantly lower ASV count and Blautia abundance. Results for the spearman correlations assessing the influence of psychosocial stress and dietary variables on gut microbiota abundance and ASV count were varied. Finally, diet nor cortisol was found to partially or fully mediate the associations between subjective stress measures, ASV count, and Alistipes and Blautia abundance. CONCLUSION: In this cross-sectional study, AA females had lower alpha diversity and Blautia abundance compared to EA females. Some psychosocial stressors and dietary variables were found to be correlated with ASV count and few gut microbiota genera. Larger scale studies are needed to explore the relationships among psychosocial stress, diet and the gut microbiome.

Investigating family history of diabetes as a predictor of fasting insulin and fasting glucose activity in a sample of healthy weight adults.

AIMS: Type 2 diabetes is a major public health problem for the global community. Having a family history of diabetes significantly increases risk for diabetes development and understanding how family history contributes to diabetes risk could lead to more effective prevention efforts for at-risk individuals. In a previous study, we showed family history of diabetes is a significant predictor of fasting insulin in healthy weight children. The present study aimed to use the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2017) to apply similar multiple regression models to a population of healthy weight adults to determine if family history is a significant predictor of fasting glucose and fasting insulin. METHODS: Fasting glucose (mg/dL) and fasting insulin (pmol/L) were used as dependent variables in each model, respectively, with family history of diabetes as the independent variable. Covariates for each model included age, gender, race/ethnicity, waist circumference, and macronutrient intake. RESULTS: The model significantly predicted the variance of fasting glucose [(F(11,364) = 34.80, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.2342] and fasting insulin [F(11,343) = 17.58, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.1162]. After adjusting for covariates, family history was a significant predicator of fasting glucose (p = 0.0193) as well as age, gender, non-Hispanic black ethnicity, waist circumference, and fat intake. Significant predictors of fasting insulin included gender and waist circumference, but not family history (p = 0.8264). In addition, fasting glucose was higher in individuals with a family history of diabetes (p = 0.033). CONCLUSIONS: These results add to the understanding of how family history influences the biomarkers that contribute to diabetes development. Knowledge of how family history of diabetes relates to fasting insulin and fasting glucose activity in healthy weight individuals can be used to design personalized screening and early prevention strategies.

Household disorder and blood pressure in mother-child dyads: A brief report.

High blood pressure (BP) is the leading risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Although factors outside the home, such as crime and noise, have been associated with high BP in women and children, it is unknown if disorder within the home (household disorder) influences BP. We tested the hypothesis that women and children with more household disorder would have higher BP, independent of age, race, sodium intake, and body mass index (BMI). This study was a secondary analysis of data from mother-child dyads (n = 216). Mothers were 87% African American, 34 ± 5 years old, with BMI 33.59 ± 9.43 kg/m². Children were 7 ± 2 (range: 4-10) years of age with BMI z score 0.60 ± 2.07. Household disorder was measured by the Confusion Hubbub and Order Scale. Mother-child dyads were assessed for weight, height, BP (adults), BP percentile (children), energy intake, and sodium intake. The relationship between household disorder and BP was evaluated using Pearson's partial correlation coefficients. In fully adjusted models, household disorder was positively associated with systolic BP for mothers (r = 0.15, p < .05) and tended to be positively associated with diastolic BP (r = 0.11, p = .10). For the children, household disorder was not associated with systolic or diastolic BP percentile. This study's results suggest that household disorder is positively associated with higher BP in adult women, but not their children. Nevertheless, these data suggest that interventions to address household disorder could benefit maternal BP and potentially improve long-term CVD outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Body fat percentage assessment using skinfold thickness agrees with measures obtained by DXA scan in African American and Caucasian American women.

Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is considered to have high accuracy in estimating fat mass; however, DXA is not always available. We hypothesized that the equations most commonly used for predicting body fat percentage (BF%) using skinfold thickness agree with direct measures of BF% obtained by DXA scan in African American (AA) and Caucasian American (CA) women. Data from 42 women from Alabama who were 21 to 45 years of age, who self-identify as AA (n = 20) or CA (n = 22) were included. BF% was estimated using DXA scan and through 6 different skinfold thickness equations. Agreement between DXA-BF% and BF% based on the skinfold thickness equations was assessed following the Bland-Altman method (bias and agreement limits). Agreement analysis showed in both AA and CA women that the BF%-Siri equation reflects better agreement and lower mean differences (bias) with BF%-DXA than the BF%-Brozek equation after applying 4 body density (BD) equations. Limits showed that BF%-Siri and BF%-Brozek predictive equations overestimate BF% compared with DXA-BF% in both AA and CA women. In AAs, equations that overestimated less were Wilmore and Behnke-Siri (by 1.81%) and Durnin and Womersley-Siri (by 2.5%) equations. Regarding CAs, equations that overestimated less were Durnin and Womersley-Siri (by 2.74%) and Wilmore and Behnke-Siri (by 3.11%) equations. The results of this study show that the BF%-Siri equation is a more accurate alternative than the BF%-Brozek equation for the calculation of BF%. In the calculation of BD, the Wilmore and Behnke equation in AA women and Durnin and Womersley in CA women were those that overestimated BF% to a lesser degree.

Changes in Ghrelin and Glucagon following a Low Glycemic Load Diet in Women with PCOS.

CONTEXT: Altered satiety hormones in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) may contribute to obesity. Diets with a low glycemic load (GL) may influence appetite-regulating hormones including glucagon and ghrelin. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that following a 4-week, eucaloric low vs high GL diet habituation, a low vs high GL meal will increase glucagon and decrease ghrelin to reflect greater satiety and improve self-reported fullness. METHODS: Secondary analysis of a randomized crossover trial. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty women diagnosed with PCOS. INTERVENTION: Participants were provided low (41:19:40% energy from carbohydrate:protein:fat) and high (55:18:27) GL diets for 8 weeks each. At each diet midpoint, a solid meal test was administered to examine postprandial ghrelin, glucagon, glucose, insulin, and self-reported appetite scores. RESULTS: After 4 weeks, fasting glucagon was greater with the low vs high GL diet (P = .035), and higher fasting glucagon was associated with lesser feelings of hunger (P = .009). Significant diet effects indicate 4-hour glucagon was higher (P < .001) and ghrelin was lower (P = .009) after the low vs high GL meal. A trending time × diet interaction (P = .077) indicates feelings of fullness were greater in the early postprandial phase after the high GL meal, but no differences were observed the late postprandial phase. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest after low GL diet habituation, a low GL meal reduces ghrelin and increases glucagon in women with PCOS. Further research is needed to determine the influence of diet composition on ad libitum intake in women with PCOS.

Assimilation, Acculturation, and Allostatic Load in U.S.- and Foreign-Born Hispanics.

The present study assessed how the adaptation to American culture by United States (U.S.)-born and foreign-born Hispanics living in the U.S. may influence stress-related physiological aspects that may impair health. Data on 8,360 Hispanics living in the U.S. categorized as U.S.-born (n = 3347) and foreign-born (n = 5013) from NHANES 1999-2010 (ages 18-85) were used. Stress-related physiological impact was measured by the allostatic load index (ALoad). Adaptation to American culture was evaluated through three acculturation-related measures. The average age was 39.39 years in a sample where 51% were males. ALoad was classified as no load (15.41%), low load (55.33%), and high load (29.24%). The U.S.-born Hispanics showed higher ALoad compared to foreign-born Hispanics (p < 0.001). Among foreign-born Hispanics, length of residence (LOR) and age of arrival in the U.S. (AOA) were associated with higher ALoad scores (p < 0.05), and in U.S.-born Hispanics, age and sex were positively associated and education was negatively associated with ALoad scores (p < 0.05). Adaptation to American culture in foreign-born Hispanics living in the U.S. appears to influence levels of ALoad in this population.

Physiological Significance of Discrimination on Stress Markers, Obesity, and LDL Oxidation among a European American and African American Cohort of Females.

BACKGROUND: Factors underlying physiological reactions from perceived discrimination and its relation to adverse health outcomes are not completely understood. The main purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that experiences of discrimination (recent and lifetime) correlate with biomarkers of stress, oxidative stress, and obesity among adult females. METHOD: Data on 62 females who self-identify as African American (AA; n = 31) or European American (EA; n = 31) aged 21-45 years were included. Discrimination experiences (recent and lifetime) were evaluated based on a validated instrument. Stress was assessed based on hair cortisol (HC) and salivary cortisol (SC), hsC-reactive protein (hsCRP), cardiovascular markers, and LDL-cholesterol oxidation. Obesity was measured based on BMI, waist circumference, and body fat percent. Multiple linear regression analyses were performed to evaluate the influence of experiences of discrimination. RESULTS: Significant differences in experiences of discrimination were observed by race (p < 0.05) and were higher in AA females. Results for the multiple regression models assessing the contribution of discrimination indicate that hsCRP and pulse were significantly associated with recent experiences of discrimination, and SC, HC, hsCRP, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and pulse were significantly associated with lifetime experiences of discrimination when adjusted for BMI and race (p < 0.05). Finally, oxidation of LDL-cholesterol was significantly associated with salivary cortisol (p = 0.0420) when adjusted by lifetime experiences of discrimination (p = 0.0366) but not for BMI (p = 0.6252). CONCLUSION: In this cross-sectional study, AA females experienced more discrimination compared to EA females. Levels of recent and lifetime experiences of discrimination were associated with some stress biomarkers. Salivary cortisol was associated with oxidation of LDL-cholesterol with shorter lag times and increased risk for cardiovascular disease.

Dietary Energy-Density and Adiposity Markers Among a Cohort of Multi-ethnic Children.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that the association between dietary energy density (DED) and body composition in children is different than in adults. The purpose of this study was to measure if DED differed by race/ethnicity and if DED was associated with adiposity markers in children. METHODOLOGY: Dietary intake and body composition were measured in a multi-ethnic sample of 307 children aged seven to 12 (39% European American, EA; 35% African American, AA; and 26% Hispanic American, HA). Dietary intake was measured by two 24-h recalls, and DED was calculated including and excluding energy-from beverages. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and other measurements included height, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI). Participants were evaluated by total sample and plausibility of reported energy intake. Analysis of variance, independence tests, and multiple regression models were performed. RESULTS: A total of 33.5% of the children in the sample had a BMI ≥ 85 percentile. Among plausible reporters, the mean DEDSF+EB (solid food + energy-containing beverages) was ~ 128 kcal/100 g and mean DEDSF (solid food only) was 211 kcal/100 g. Pairwise comparisons among children showed that the mean of DED was higher in AA children compared to EA and HA children (p < 0.005). Regression models showed significant association (p < 0.05) between adiposity markers and DEDSF in both the total and plausible samples. CONCLUSION: This study provides evidence of a significant difference of DED by race/ethnicity. Increased DED showed being a significant risk factor for adiposity among children. The associations were stronger when only plausible reporters were considered.

The association between allostatic load and anthropometric measurements among a multiethnic cohort of children.

OBJECTIVE: This study investigated if levels of allostatic load (ALoad) differed according to race/ethnicity in children and if ALoad was associated with obesity-related measures. METHODS: A multiethnic sample of 307 children aged seven to 12 was evaluated, composed of 39% European American (EA), 35% African American (AA), and 26% Hispanic American (HA) youth. Anthropometric measurements were evaluated by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and other measurements included body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC). Allostatic load scores were estimated based on two different calculations, including seven and eight biomarkers (ALoad1 and ALoad2), respectively. Analyses of variance, independence tests, and multiple regression models were performed. RESULTS: From the total sample, 22.80% (n = 70) of children were characterized as "no load," 46.58% (n = 143) "low load," and 30.62% (n = 94) "high load." Hispanic American children showed the highest ALoad scores (2.07 ± 1.54; 95% CI, 1.73-2.41) compared with AA children (1.71 ± 1.43; 95% CI, 1.43-1.99) and EA children (1.56 ± 1.34; 95% CI, 1.32-1.80) (P < 0.05). Higher scores of ALoad (using both ALoad1 and ALoad2 calculations) were associated with higher BMI, total body fat mass, body percent fat, and WC (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Significant differences in ALoad were observed in children according to race/ethnicity. Increased exposure to stressors captured by ALoad may result in increased risk for excessive adiposity and potential health risk in children. Further, ALoad may serve as a preventive marker for conditions known to continue throughout adulthood.