Do sex hormones at birth predict later-life economic preferences? Evidence from a pregnancy birth cohort study

Economic preferences may be shaped by exposure to sex hormones around birth. Prior studies of economic preferences and numerous other phenotypic characteristics use digit ratios (2D : 4D), a purported proxy for prenatal testosterone exposure, whose validity has recently been questioned. We use direct measures of neonatal sex hormones (testosterone and oestrogen), measured from umbilical cord blood ( n = 200) to investigate their association with later-life economic preferences (risk preferences, competitiveness, time preferences and social preferences) in an Australian cohort (Raine Study Gen2). We find no significant associations between testosterone at birth and preferences, except for competitiveness, where the effect runs opposite to the expected direction. Point estimates are between 0.05–0.09 percentage points (pp) and 0.003–0.14 s.d. We similarly find no significant associations between 2D : 4D and preferences ( n = 533, point estimates 0.003–0.02 pp and 0.001–0.06 s.d.). Our sample size allows detecting effects larger than 0.11 pp or 0.22 s.d. for testosterone at birth, and 0.07 pp or 0.14 s.d. for 2D : 4D ( α = 0.05 and power = 0.90). Equivalence tests show that most effects are unlikely to be larger than these bounds. Our results suggest a reinterpretation of prior findings relating 2D : 4D to economic preferences, and highlight the importance of future large-sample studies that permit detection of small effects.

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The protective role of trait anxiety: a longitudinal cohort study

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291705006847 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 36 (3) ◽

pp. 345-351 ◽

Cited By ~ 55

Author(s):

W. E. LEE ◽

M. E. J. WADSWORTH ◽

M. HOTOPF

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Trait Anxiety ◽

Early Adulthood ◽

Adult Life ◽

Later Life ◽

Population Based ◽

Protective Role ◽

Medical Intervention ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Fatal Accidents

Background. Most research has indicated that neuroticism (or trait anxiety) is associated with only negative outcomes. Such a common, heritable and variable trait is expected to have beneficial as well as detrimental effects. We tested the hypothesis that trait anxiety in childhood reduces the risk of dying from accidental causes in early adult life.Method. A longitudinal, population-based, birth cohort study of 4070 men and women born in the UK in 1946. Trait anxiety as judged by teachers when the participants were 13 and 15 years old, and the neuroticism scale of a Maudsley Personality Inventory (MPI) when the participants were 16 years old. Outcomes were deaths, deaths from accidents, non-fatal accidents, and non-fatal accidents requiring medical intervention.Results. Adolescents with low trait anxiety had higher rates of accident mortality to age 25 [low anxiety at 13, hazard ratio (HR) 5·9, low anxiety at 15, HR 1·8]. Low trait anxiety in adolescence was associated with decreased non-accidental mortality after age 25 (low anxiety at 13, HR 0; low anxiety at 15, HR 0·7; low neuroticism at 16, HR 0·7).Conclusions. High trait anxiety measured in adolescence is associated with reduced accidents and accidental death in early adulthood but higher rates of non-accidental mortality in later life.

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Metagenomic Analysis Reveals Associations between Salivary Microbiota and Body Composition in Early Childhood

10.21203/rs.3.rs-909959/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Modupe Coker ◽

Rebecca Lebeaux ◽

Anne Hoen ◽

Yuka Moroishi ◽

Diane Gilbert-Diamond ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Mass ◽

Later Life ◽

Child Growth ◽

Oral Microbiome ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Oral Microbiota ◽

Anthropometric Measures ◽

Shotgun Metagenomics ◽

Growth Metrics ◽

Salivary Microbiota

Abstract Several studies have shown that body mass index is strongly associated with differences in gut microbiota, but the relationship between body weight and oral microbiota is less clear. Among more than 200 toddlers in the New Hampshire Birth Cohort Study, we characterized the association between multiple anthropometric measures of body mass/growth longitudinally and used shotgun metagenomics to taxonomically and functionally profile the oral microbiome. We found that within-sample diversity was inversely related to body mass measurements while community composition was not associated. Certain taxa were consistently associated with growth and modified by sex. Functional examination also showed concordance between microbial metabolic pathways and child growth metrics. Further exploration of the functional significance of this relationship will enhance our understanding of the intersection between weight gain, microbiota, and energy metabolism and the potential role of these relationships on the onset of obesity-associated diseases in later life.

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488 GRIP STRENGTH FROM MIDLIFE AS AN INDICATOR OF LATER-LIFE COGNITION AND BRAIN HEALTH: EVIDENCE FROM A BRITISH BIRTH COHORT

Age and Ageing ◽

10.1093/ageing/afab118.04 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 50 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. ii5-ii7

Author(s):

Q Dercon ◽

J Nicholas ◽

S-N James ◽

J Schott ◽

M Richards

Keyword(s):

Grip Strength ◽

Birth Cohort ◽

Reference Group ◽

Later Life ◽

White Matter Hyperintensity ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Brain Health ◽

Average Maximum ◽

Maximum Grip Strength ◽

Maximum Grip

Abstract Introduction Grip strength is an objective measure of physical function with potential predictive value for health in ageing populations. We aimed to assess whether levels and changes in grip strength from midlife predicted later-life brain health and cognition. Methods 446 participants in an ongoing British birth cohort study, the MRC National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD), had their maximum grip strength measured at ages 53, 60–64, and 69, and underwent neuroimaging as part of its neuroscience sub-study, Insight 46, at 69–71. A group-based trajectory model identified latent groups of individuals in the whole NSHD cohort with below- and above-average grip strength over time, plus a reference group. Trajectory group membership, plus standardised grip strength levels and change from age 53, were each related to MRI-derived measures of whole-brain volume (WBV) and white-matter hyperintensity volume (WMHV), plus several cognitive tests. Models were adjusted for sex, body size, head size (where appropriate), sociodemographics, and behavioural and vascular risk factors. Results Consistently below-average grip strength from midlife was associated with lower WBV and non-verbal reasoning ability at age 69–71 (e.g. low group WBV vs. reference group β = −13.38 cm^3; 95% CI = (−24.12 cm^3, −2.64 cm^3); p = 0.015). There was some accompanying evidence that above-average maximum grip strength showed a positive association with WBV, which was more pronounced in female participants (high group female WBV vs. reference group β = 18.30 cm^3; 95% CI = (1.34 cm^3, 35.29 cm^3); p = 0.034). Steeper than average declines in grip strength between 53 and 69 were additionally weakly associated with an estimated 10% higher WMHV at age 69–71 (β = 1.10, 95% CI = (1.00, 1.22); p = 0.053). Conclusion This study provides preliminary evidence that tests of maximum grip strength may have value in predicting brain health. Future work should assess how these observed differences relate to later-life negative health outcomes, and whether changes in grip strength reflect concurrent changes in brain structure and connectivity.

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Do the associations of body mass index and waist circumference with back pain change as people age? 32 years of follow-up in a British birth cohort

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2020-039197 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (12) ◽

pp. e039197

Author(s):

Stella Muthuri ◽

Rachel Cooper ◽

Diana Kuh ◽

Rebecca Hardy

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Back Pain ◽

Waist Circumference ◽

Birth Cohort ◽

Body Mass ◽

Smoking Status ◽

Later Life ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Occupational Class ◽

Cross Sectional

ObjectivesTo investigate whether cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) with back pain change with age and extend into later life.DesignBritish birth cohort study.SettingEngland, Scotland and Wales.ParticipantsUp to 3426 men and women from the MRC National Survey of Health and Development.Primary outcome measuresBack pain (sciatica, lumbago or recurring/severe backache all or most of the time) was self-reported during nurse interviews at ages 36, 43, 53 and 60–64 years and in a postal questionnaire using a body manikin at age 68.ResultsFindings from mixed-effects logistic regression models indicated that higher BMI was consistently associated with increased odds of back pain across adulthood. Sex-adjusted ORs of back pain per 1 SD increase in BMI were: 1.13 (95% CI: 1.01 to 1.26), 1.11 (95% CI: 1.00 to 1.23), 1.17 (95% CI: 1.05 to 1.30), 1.31 (95% CI: 1.15 to 1.48) and 1.08 (95% CI: 0.95 to 1.24) at ages 36, 43, 53, 60–64 and 68–69, respectively. Similar patterns of associations were observed for WC. These associations were maintained when potential confounders, including education, occupational class, height, cigarette smoking status, physical activity and symptoms of anxiety and depression were accounted for. BMI showed stronger associations than WC in models including both measures.ConclusionsThese findings demonstrate that higher BMI is a persistent risk factor for back pain across adulthood. This highlights the potential lifelong consequences on back pain of the rising prevalence of obesity within the population.

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Early growth and postprandial appetite regulatory hormone responses

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114513000950 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 110 (9) ◽

pp. 1591-1600 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Mia-Maria Perälä ◽

Eero Kajantie ◽

Liisa M. Valsta ◽

Jens J. Holst ◽

Jaana Leiviskä ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Test Meal ◽

Metabolic Diseases ◽

Hormone Secretion ◽

Later Life ◽

Early Growth ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Slow Increase ◽

Increased Risk ◽

Hormone Responses ◽

The Impact

Strong epidemiological evidence suggests that slow prenatal or postnatal growth is associated with an increased risk of CVD and other metabolic diseases. However, little is known whether early growth affects postprandial metabolism and, especially, the appetite regulatory hormone system. Therefore, we investigated the impact of early growth on postprandial appetite regulatory hormone responses to two high-protein and two high-fat content meals. Healthy, 65–75-year-old volunteers from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study were recruited; twelve with a slow increase in BMI during the first year of life (SGI group) and twelve controls. Subjects ate a test meal (whey meal, casein meal, SFA meal and PUFA meal) once in a random order. Plasma glucose, insulin, TAG, NEFA, ghrelin, peptide tyrosine-tyrosine (PYY), glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide, glucagon-like peptide-1 and a satiety profile were measured in the fasting state and for 4 h after each test meal. Compared with the controls, the SGI group had about 1·5-fold higher insulin responses after the whey meal (P= 0·037), casein meal (P= 0·023) and PUFA meal (P= 0·002). TAG responses were 34–69 % higher for the SGI group, but only the PUFA-meal responses differed significantly between the groups. The PYY response of the SGI group was 44 % higher after the whey meal (P= 0·046) and 115 % higher after the casein meal (P= 0·025) compared with the controls. No other statistically significant differences were seen between the groups. In conclusion, early growth may have a role in programming appetite regulatory hormone secretion in later life. Slow early growth is also associated with higher postprandial insulin and TAG responses but not with incretin levels.

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How the Newcastle Thousand Families birth cohort study has contributed to the understanding of the impact of birth weight and early life socioeconomic position on disease in later life

Maturitas ◽

10.1016/j.maturitas.2012.02.005 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 72 (1) ◽

pp. 23-28 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Mark S. Pearce ◽

Kay D. Mann ◽

Caroline L. Relton ◽

Roger M. Francis ◽

James G. Steele ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Birth Weight ◽

Birth Cohort ◽

Socioeconomic Position ◽

Early Life ◽

Later Life ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

The Impact

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Number of children and body composition in later life among men and women: Results from a British birth cohort study

10.1101/492314 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Charis Bridger Staatz ◽

Rebecca Hardy

Keyword(s):

Body Mass Index ◽

Body Composition ◽

Body Mass ◽

Fat Mass ◽

Lean Mass ◽

Biological Effects ◽

Later Life ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Mass Ratio ◽

Number Of Children

Background Although research has found associations between increasing number of children and higher body mass index (BMI), there has been limited research investigating the association with body composition despite abdominal fat being associated with cardiovascular and metabolic risk independently of general adiposity. Most existing research has focussed on women, but investigating the relationship in men can help distinguish biological effects of pregnancy from social pathways related to parenthood. Methods Using the MRC National Survey of Health and Development (NSHD) multiple regression models were applied to test associations between number of children and body composition at age 60-64 (N=2229) and body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) at ages 60-64 and 69 (N=2149). Results In adjusted models, associations were observed between increasing numbers of children and increasing fat-adjusted lean mass index in women (p=0.06). Among men, those with children had 0.59kg (95% CI: 0.15 to 1.02) greater lean mass index than those without and fat:lean mass ratio was greater in those with 4+ children because of their slightly higher mean fat mass. Weak evidence of a higher android:gynoid mass ratio in women with children (0.03, 95% CI: 0.00,0.06, p=0.1) was observed with no associations with fat mass index or android or gynoid fat mass. Increasing BMI was observed with increasing parity in women at 60-64 and more strongly at 69 years where associations among men were also observed more clearly. Conclusion There was little evidence of a consistent association between number of children and body composition in early old age. The strongest associations are observed for lean, rather than fat mass, and in men rather than women, suggesting little evidence of biological effects of pregnancy in women. The results indicate social pathways associated with parenthood are the likely underlying mechanisms, with suggestion there may be selection into parenthood among men.

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Maternal Hb during pregnancy and offspring's educational achievement: a prospective cohort study over 30 years

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114510002175 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 104 (9) ◽

pp. 1363-1368 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Mohammad Fararouei ◽

Claire Robertson ◽

John Whittaker ◽

Ulla Sovio ◽

Aimo Ruokonen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cohort Study ◽

Educational Achievement ◽

Clinical Importance ◽

Positive Association ◽

Later Life ◽

Birth Cohort Study ◽

Level Of Education ◽

Birth Month ◽

Wide Range ◽

Late Stages

The aim of the present study was to examine the association between maternal Hb levels during pregnancy and educational achievement of the offspring in later life. We analysed data obtained from the Northern Finnish Birth Cohort Study conducted in 1966, in which, data on mothers and offspring from pregnancy through to the age of 31 years were collected. The cohort comprised 11 656 individuals born from singleton births (51 % males and 49 % females). Maternal Hb levels were available from the third, seventh and ninth gestational months. Educational achievement was measured as school scores (range 4–10) taken at the ages of 14 (self-reported questionnaires) and 16 (school reports) years as well as the highest level of education at the age of 31 years. The present results showed a direct positive association between Hb levels and educational achievement in later life. After adjustment for sex, birth weight, birth month and a wide range of maternal factors (parity, smoking, mental status, whether pregnancy was wanted or not, education, social class and marital status), only maternal Hb levels that were measured at the ninth month were significantly associated with the offspring's school performance. If the levels were ≥ 110 g/l at all the three measurement points, offspring not only had better school scores at the ages of 14 and 16 years (β = 0·048, P = 0·04 and β = 0·68, P = 0·007, respectively), but also had an increased odds of having a higher level of education at the age of 31 years (OR = 1·14, P = 0·04). The present study suggests that low maternal Hb levels at the final stages of pregnancy are linked to the poorer educational achievement of the offspring. If our observation is confirmed, it would suggest that Fe prophylaxis even at fairly late stages of pregnancy may be beneficial for the subsequent health of the offspring. However, more studies are needed to fully establish the potential pathways and the clinical importance of the present findings.

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