Telomere length in early childhood and its association with attention: a study in 4-6 year old children.

Telomere length (TL), a marker of cellular aging, has been studied in adults with regard to its connection to cognitive function. However, little is known about the association between TL and cognitive development in children. This study investigated the interplay between TL and cognitive functioning in 283 Belgian children aged four to six years of the Environmental Influence on Aging in Early Life (ENVIRONAGE) birth cohort. Child leukocyte TL was measured using qPCR, while cognitive functioning, including attention and memory, was assessed using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB). Linear regression models were employed to examine the association between TL and cognitive outcomes, adjusting for potential confounders. We found an inverse association between TL and the spatial errors made during the Motor Screening task (p = 0.017), indicating a higher motor accuracy in children with longer telomeres. No significant associations were found between TL and other cognitive outcomes. Our results suggest a specific link between TL and motor accuracy but not with the other cognitive domains.

Residential green space is associated with a buffering effect on stress responses during the COVID-19 pandemic in mothers of young children, a prospective study.

Green spaces are associated with increased well-being and reduced risk of developing psychiatric disorders. In this study, we aimed to investigate how residential proximity to green spaces was associated with stress response buffering during the COVID-19 pandemic in a prospective cohort of young mothers. We collected information on stress in 766 mothers (mean age: 36.6 years) from the ENVIRONAGE birth cohort at baseline of the study (from 2010 onwards), and during the COVID-19 pandemic (from December 2020 until May 2021). Self-reported stress responses due to the COVID-19 pandemic were the outcome measure. Green space was quantified in several radiuses around the residence based on high-resolution (1 m2) data. Using ordinal logistic regression, we estimated the odds of better resistance to reported stress, while controlling for age, socio-economic status, stress related to care for children, urbanicity, and household change in income during the pandemic. In sensitivity analyses we corrected for pre-pandemic stress levels, BMI, physical activity, and changes in health-related habits during the pandemic. We found that for an inter-quartile range contrast in residential green space 300 m and 500 m around the residence, participants were respectively 24% (OR = 1.24, 95%CI: 1.03 to 1.51) and 29% (OR = 1.29, 95%CI: 1.04 to 1.60) more likely to be in a more resistant category, independent of the aforementioned factors. These results remained robust after additionally controlling for pre-pandemic stress levels, BMI, physical activity, smoking status, urbanicity, psychological disorders, and changes in health-related habits during the pandemic. This prospective study in young mothers highlights the importance of proximity to green spaces, especially during challenging times.