Discrimination, domestic violence, abuse, and other adverse life events in people with epilepsy: Population-based study to assess the burden of these events and their contribution to psychopathology

ABSTRACTBackground:The impact of stressful life events as a risk factor of dementia diseases is inconclusive. We sought to determine whether stressful negative life events are associated with incidental dementia in a population-based study with long-term follow-up. We also tested the hypothesis that the occurrence of positive life events could mitigate or overcome the possible adverse effects of negative life events on dementia conversion.Methods:The study involved 2,462 dementia-free participants aged 55 years and older. Information on life events was ascertained at baseline from a comprehensive Life Event Inventory, which included 56 questions about specific life events. For each life event, the emotional impact (both positive and negative) and emotional adjustment were asked for.Results:During follow-up, 423 participants developed dementia; of these, 240 developed Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cox regression analysis showed no association between the total number of negative life events and the incidence of dementia when adjusted solely for age and gender (hazard ratio = 0.97, 95% CI = 0.92–1.02), or with multiple adjustments for a range of covariates (hazard ratio = 0.96, 95% CI = 0.91–1.01). Similarly, neither emotional impact nor emotional adjustment to these life events was associated with incident dementia. A separate analysis of AD did not alter the results.Conclusions:The result of this population-based study finds no association between negative or positive life events and dementia. Accordingly, our results reject the hypothesis that stressful life events trigger the onset of dementia diseases.

Download Full-text

The experience of life events and body composition in middle childhood: a population-based study

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity ◽

10.1186/s12966-021-01188-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ivonne P. M. Derks ◽

Sara Hannani ◽

Florianne O. L. Vehmeijer ◽

Henning Tiemeier ◽

Pauline W. Jansen

Keyword(s):

Body Composition ◽

Life Events ◽

Middle Childhood ◽

Population Based ◽

Fat Free Mass ◽

Structured Interviews ◽

Population Based Study ◽

Wide Range ◽

The Relationship ◽

Dutch Children

AbstractWhile studies suggest potential influences of childhood adversities on obesity development in adulthood, less is known about the short-term association in children. We examined the association between a wide range of life events experienced in the first ten years of life (including maltreatment and milder adversities) and body composition in 5333 ten-year old Dutch children. In structured interviews, mothers retrospectively reported on their children’s experience of 24 events. BMI was calculated, and fat mass index and fat free mass index were determined by dual-x-ray absorptiometry scanning. Linear regressions showed that, unadjusted, a higher number of life events was associated with higher BMI and body composition. However, associations attenuated to non-significance after adjustment for covariates. Similar findings were observed for maltreatment and milder life events. Thus, the number of experienced life events was not associated with body composition in middle childhood. Rather, other factors, like socioeconomic conditions, accounted for the relationship between life events and weight development in children.

Download Full-text

The association of adverse life events with children's emotional overeating and restrained eating in a population‐based cohort

International Journal of Eating Disorders ◽

10.1002/eat.23351 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 53 (10) ◽

pp. 1709-1718

Author(s):

Robin Thomas ◽

Roberta Siliquini ◽

Manon H. Hillegers ◽

Pauline W. Jansen

Keyword(s):

Life Events ◽

Population Based ◽

Restrained Eating ◽

Adverse Life Events

Download Full-text

Cortisol, life events and cognition in non-demented subjects: A population-based study

European Psychiatry ◽

10.1016/j.eurpsy.2016.01.021 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 33 (S1) ◽

pp. S77-S78

Author(s):

S. Ouanes ◽

E. Castelao ◽

A. Von Gunten ◽

M. Preisig ◽

J. Popp

Keyword(s):

Life Events ◽

Salivary Cortisol ◽

Neuropsychological Test ◽

Area Under The Curve ◽

Population Based ◽

Stressful Events ◽

Clinical Dementia Rating ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Population Based Study ◽

Competing Interest

BackgroundOlder people are particularly exposed to stressful events, known to activate the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis. Many studies highlighted the possible deleterious effects of elevated cortisol on cognition, assuming a likely role of stressful events. Yet, very few studies actually examined these assumed links between life events, cortisol and cognition.ObjectiveTo examine associations between salivary cortisol, cognition and life events in a population of non-demented old individuals.MethodsA cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from Colaus/PsyColaus, a longitudinal population-based study involving 6733 Lausanne residents. Salivary cortisol samples (upon waking, 30 minutes after waking, at 11 am and at 8 pm) were obtained from 799 non-demented participants aged at least 60.Life events, activities of daily life along with depressive symptoms were assessed using a standardized questionnaire. A comprehensive neuropsychological test battery was used to determine the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR).For multiple comparisons, P values were adjusted (P′) according to Holm-Bonferroni's method.ResultsCortisol at 11 am and cortisol area under the curve (AUC) were positively correlated with CDR sum of boxes (CDRSOB) scores (P′ = 0.035; Rho = 0.097 and P′ = 0.024; Rho = 0.110, respectively). The association between cortisol AUC and CDRSOB remained significant after controlling for age, sex, body mass index, education, smoking and depression (P = 0.001; β = 0.001; R2 change = 0.016).The number and the total impact of life events were associated neither with cortisol nor with CDRSOB.ConclusionsElevated cortisol was associated with poorer cognitive functioning yet independently of life events. This suggests that the increased cortisol associated with poorer cognition might be not a mere reflection of stressful events but rather explained by other factors, yet to be elucidated.Disclosure of interestThe authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.

Download Full-text

Asthma, life events and psychiatric disorders: a population-based study

Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology ◽

10.1007/s00127-013-0655-5 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 48 (8) ◽

pp. 1273-1282 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Yanxia Lu ◽

Liang Feng ◽

Leslie Lim ◽

Tze Pin Ng

Keyword(s):

Psychiatric Disorders ◽

Life Events ◽

Population Based ◽

Population Based Study

Download Full-text

Stressful life events and leukocyte telomere attrition in adulthood: a prospective population-based cohort study

Psychological Medicine ◽

10.1017/s0033291715000914 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 45 (14) ◽

pp. 2975-2984 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

S. L. van Ockenburg ◽

E. H. Bos ◽

P. de Jonge ◽

P. van der Harst ◽

R. O. B. Gans ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Life Events ◽

Mixed Model ◽

Stressful Life Events ◽

Linear Mixed Model ◽

Smoking Status ◽

Population Based ◽

Adverse Life Events ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Telomere Attrition ◽

Multivariable Regression

Background.Telomere attrition might be one of the mechanisms through which psychosocial stress leads to somatic disease. To date it is unknown if exposure to adverse life events in adulthood is associated with telomere shortening prospectively. In the current study we investigated whether life events are associated with shortening of telomere length (TL).Method.Participants were 1094 adults (mean age 53.1, range 33–79 years) from the PREVEND cohort. Data were collected at baseline (T1) and at two follow-up visits after 4 years (T2) and 6 years (T3). Life events were assessed with an adjusted version of the List of Threatening Events (LTE). TL was measured by monochrome multiplex quantitative PCR at T1, T2, and T3. A linear mixed model was used to assess the effect of recent life events on TL prospectively. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to assess whether the lifetime life events score or the score of life events experienced before the age of 12 predicted TL cross-sectionally. All final models were adjusted for age, sex, body mass index, presence of chronic diseases, frequency of sports, smoking status, and level of education.Results.Recent life events significantly predicted telomere attrition prospectively (B = −0.031, p = 0.007). We were not able to demonstrate a significant cross-sectional relationship between the lifetime LTE score and TL. Nor did we find exposure to adverse life events before the age of 12 to be associated with TL in adulthood.Conclusions.Exposure to recent adverse life events in adulthood is associated with telomere attrition prospectively.

Download Full-text