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Associations of adverse childhood experiences with stress physiology and insulin resistance in adolescents at risk for adult obesity
Author(s) -
Jimenez Virginia,
Sanchez Natalia,
Clark Emma L. M.,
Miller Reagan L.,
Casamassima Milena,
Verros Megan,
Conte Isabella,
RuizJaquez Metztli,
Gulley Lauren D.,
Johnson Sarah A.,
Melby Christopher,
LucasThompson Rachel G.,
Shomaker Lauren B.
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.22127
Subject(s) - insulin resistance , blood pressure , obesity , medicine , body mass index , heart rate , endocrinology , homeostatic model assessment , trier social stress test , insulin , psychology , physiology , biology , fight or flight response , biochemistry , gene
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) heighten the risk for adult obesity and cardiometabolic disease, but physiological factors underlying this connection are not well understood. We determined if ACEs were associated with physiological stress response and insulin resistance in adolescents at risk for adult obesity. Participants were 90 adolescents 12.0–17.5 years (50% female, 30% Hispanic/Latinx), at risk for adult obesity by virtue of above‐average body mass index (BMI; kg/m 2 ≥ 70th percentile) or parental obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m 2 ). ACEs were determined as presence (vs. absence) based upon the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School‐Aged Children. Physiological stress response was measured as heart rate/blood pressure response to the Trier Social Stress Test. Homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance was determined from fasting glucose/insulin. Sixty‐one percent of adolescents reported positive ACE history. The presence of ACEs predicted greater heart rate ( p < .001) and diastolic blood pressure ( p = .02) response to stress, controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, puberty, and BMI standard score. Systolic blood pressure and insulin resistance did not differ by ACE history ( p ‐values > .08). Findings suggest heightened sympathetic stress response in adolescence could be explanatory in how ACEs increase the risk for later cardiometabolic disease. Future studies should characterize ACEs in relationship to day‐to‐day variations in adolescents’ stress physiology and glucose homeostasis.