Premium
Is glycosylated haemoglobin associated with psychosocial stress in non‐diabetic 6‐year‐olds?
Author(s) -
Price Anna MH,
Maayan Talia,
Wake Melissa A,
Hiscock Harriet
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of paediatrics and child health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.631
H-Index - 76
eISSN - 1440-1754
pISSN - 1034-4810
DOI - 10.1111/jpc.12415
Subject(s) - medicine , psychosocial , anxiety , glycemic , socioeconomic status , mental health , coping (psychology) , stressor , clinical psychology , pediatrics , diabetes mellitus , psychiatry , population , endocrinology , environmental health
Aim Glycosylated haemoglobin ( HbA1c ), a marker of diabetic glycemic control, is associated with chronic psychosocial stress in non‐diabetic adults. This study aimed to determine whether HbA1c also acts as a biomarker of psychosocial stress in healthy 6‐year‐olds. Methods Design and participants: Eligible participants were 326 children recruited from 6 socio‐economically diverse areas in M elbourne, A ustralia, who took part in an earlier randomised trial for sleep problems at age 7 months. At 6 years, they participated in a follow‐up assessment. Outcome : HbA1c collected by finger‐prick. Exposures (collected simultaneously) : proxy measures of child stress including: (i) child mental health; (ii) maternal mental health (depression, anxiety, stress), negative life events in the preceding year, life stresses and coping; and (iii) family socioeconomic status and financial stress. Analyses: linear regressions, adjusted for original randomisation status and clustering. Results Sixty percent (134/225) of children retained at 6 years provided HbA1c data, which ranged from 3.9%–5.8% ( SD 0.3%). No child or family variable was associated with HbA1c . Of the maternal variables, only anxiety predicted HbA1c (adjusted difference per point increase: −0.01, 95% CI : −0.003 to 0.02, P = 0.01); this association was in the opposite direction to that hypothesised and clinically insignificant. Conclusion HbA1c was not associated with psychosocial stress in healthy 6‐year‐olds. This suggests that any link between HbA1c and psychosocial stress emerges after this age, and that HbA1c is unlikely to be a reliable biomarker for stress in early childhood or over the transition to school.