TY - JOUR
T1 - Depression, Cortisol Reactivity, and Obesity in Childhood and Adolescence
AU - Dockray, Samantha
AU - Susman, Elizabeth J.
AU - Dorn, Lorah D.
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was supported by National Institute of Mental Health Grant RO1 58393-03; National Institutes of Health, General Clinical Research Center, Grant M01 RR 10732; and the Shibley Endowment, The Pennsylvania State University.
PY - 2009/10
Y1 - 2009/10
N2 - Purpose: Depression in childhood is associated with higher body mass index (BMI), a relative measure of overweight, and overweight is associated with cortisol reactivity, indexed by heightened secretion of cortisol in response to a stressor. The current study uses a mediation model to examine the associations between symptoms of depression, cortisol reactivity and BMI in a cross-sectional study. Methods: Children (N = 111) 8 to 13 years old and a parent completed structured interviews. The Child Behavior Checklist was used to assess symptoms of depression, and cortisol reactivity to the Trier Social Stress Test for Children was measured. Physical examinations were used to determine BMI (kg/m2) and pubertal stage. Results: Depression was positively associated with BMI in both sexes. Age and pubertal stage were not significantly associated with BMI, nor was physical activity and BMI in a model including depression. In girls, but not in boys, the association between depression and BMI was mediated by cortisol reactivity. Conclusions: The current findings attest to the significance of psychologic states as potential components in models of childhood obesity, and provide conceptual and empirical support for the inclusion of cortisol reactivity in these models.
AB - Purpose: Depression in childhood is associated with higher body mass index (BMI), a relative measure of overweight, and overweight is associated with cortisol reactivity, indexed by heightened secretion of cortisol in response to a stressor. The current study uses a mediation model to examine the associations between symptoms of depression, cortisol reactivity and BMI in a cross-sectional study. Methods: Children (N = 111) 8 to 13 years old and a parent completed structured interviews. The Child Behavior Checklist was used to assess symptoms of depression, and cortisol reactivity to the Trier Social Stress Test for Children was measured. Physical examinations were used to determine BMI (kg/m2) and pubertal stage. Results: Depression was positively associated with BMI in both sexes. Age and pubertal stage were not significantly associated with BMI, nor was physical activity and BMI in a model including depression. In girls, but not in boys, the association between depression and BMI was mediated by cortisol reactivity. Conclusions: The current findings attest to the significance of psychologic states as potential components in models of childhood obesity, and provide conceptual and empirical support for the inclusion of cortisol reactivity in these models.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.06.014
DO - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2009.06.014
M3 - Review article
C2 - 19766938
AN - SCOPUS:70349110046
VL - 45
SP - 344
EP - 350
JO - Journal of Adolescent Health
JF - Journal of Adolescent Health
SN - 1054-139X
IS - 4
ER -
