Dataset Information

Stressful life events, gender and obesity: A prospective, population-based study of adolescents in British Columbia.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

To determine whether stressful life events are related to levels of obesity in a group of ethnically diverse Canadian youth and the extent to which the relationship differs by gender.

Methods

This study of 905 adolescents (age 13-17 years) from a BC population-based cohort (BASUS) used self-reported data from Wave 5 (2011 fall) on stressful life events and socio-demographic factors and from Wave 6 (2012 spring) on weight and height. Multivariable logistic regression models conditioned on known confounders and used a cross-product term for effect modification by gender. Post-estimation analysis calculated gender-specific predicted mean probabilities of having obesity associated with greater frequency of stressful life events.

Results

Compared to young men reporting no stressful life events in the previous year, young men reporting one event were nearly 50% more likely to have obesity at 6-month follow-up (OR 1.47 [95% CI: 0.63, 3.41]) and those reporting multiple stressful life events were twice as likely to have obesity at 6-month follow-up (OR 2.07 [95% CI: 0.79-5.43]). Only young women reporting multiple events showed a higher likelihood of having obesity at the end of the study (OR 1.32 [95% CI: 0.41-4.18]) than their counterparts reporting no life events.

Conclusions

Results suggest that the frequency of major life events may be an important social stressor associated with obesity in adolescents, particularly for young men. However, findings should be replicated in larger samples using measured anthropometry to inform future obesity prevention strategies.

SUBMITTER: Conklin AI

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6738518 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Stressful life events, gender and obesity: A prospective, population-based study of adolescents in British Columbia.

Conklin A I AI Guo S X R SXR Yao C A CA Tam A C T ACT Richardson C G CG

International journal of pediatrics & adolescent medicine 20190311 2

<h4>Objective</h4>To determine whether stressful life events are related to levels of obesity in a group of ethnically diverse Canadian youth and the extent to which the relationship differs by gender.<h4>Methods</h4>This study of 905 adolescents (age 13-17 years) from a BC population-based cohort (BASUS) used self-reported data from Wave 5 (2011 fall) on stressful life events and socio-demographic factors and from Wave 6 (2012 spring) on weight and height. Multivariable logistic regression mode ...[more]

PMID: 31528683

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Project description:Adolescent smoking is a major public health concern, and current treatments are only somewhat effective in promoting abstinence. One way to improve treatments is to identify psychosocial characteristics that impede cessation, allowing development of targeted treatments. This study examined the influence of 2 such characteristics, life event stressors and coping, on initiation of cessation treatment and end-of-treatment abstinence status.One hundred five adolescent smokers were eligible to participate in a validated contingency management (CM) and cognitive-behavioral (CBT) cessation treatment; of those, 72 completed at least 1 treatment session. Data included sociodemographic characteristics, questionnaires assessing past-year life events and coping behavior use, and abstinence status at the end of the 4-week treatment. Logistic regression was used to predict treatment initiation and abstinence status, with life event stressor number, coping, or their interaction as predictors.Higher levels of cognitive and peer support coping predicted treatment initiation, whereas life events were unrelated. End-of-treatment abstinence was predicted by higher numbers of life events and greater use of avoidant coping. The interaction of helpless coping and life events also predicted abstinence, with greater increases in helpless coping as total life events rose in abstinent but not nonabstinent participants. Finally, greater use of behavioral coping predicted abstinence in participants exposed to only CM treatment, whereas lesser use of behavioral coping predicted abstinence in participants receiving combined CM/CBT treatment.Exposure to life event stressors may promote cessation by forcing use of self-control resources prior to the quit attempt, which may strengthen such resources. Techniques that improve self-control resources may improve cessation outcome, and prevention programs may want to emphasize behavioral coping to improve rates of treatment initiation.

Project description:Background Currently, evidence on the role of stressful life events in fatigue among the Chinese working adults is lacking. This study aimed at exploring the prospective associations between stressful life events and chronic fatigue among Chinese government employees. Methods From January 2018 to December 2019, a total of 16206 government employees were included at baseline and they were followed-up until May 2021. A digital self-reported questionnaire platform was established to collect information on participants' health and covariates. Life events were assessed by the Life Events Scale (LES), fatigue was assessed by using a single item, measuring the frequency of its occurrence. Binary logistic regression analysis was used for the data analysis. Results Of the included 16206 Chinese government employees at baseline, 60.45% reported that they experienced negative stressful life events and 43.87% reported that they experienced positive stressful life events over the past year. Fatigue was reported by 7.74% of the sample at baseline and 8.19% at follow-up. Cumulative number of life events at baseline, and cumulative life events severity score at baseline were positively associated with self-reported fatigue at follow up, respectively. After adjusting sociodemographic factors, occupational factors and health behavior related factors, negative life events at baseline (OR: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.69–2.51) were significantly associated with self-reported fatigue at follow-up. Some specific life events including events related to work and events related to economic problems were significantly associated with self-reported fatigue. Specifically, work stress (OR = 1.76, 95%CI: 1.45–2.13), as well as not satisfied with the current job (OR = 1.95, 95%CI: 1.58–2.40), in debt (OR = 1.75, 95%CI: 1.40–2.17) were significantly associated with self-reported fatigue. The economic situation has improved significantly (OR = 0.62, 95%CI: 0.46–0.85) at baseline was significantly associated with lower incidence of self-reported fatigue. Conclusion Negative stressful life events were associated with fatigue among Chinese government employees. Effective interventions should be provided to employees who have experienced negative stressful life events.

Dataset Information

Stressful life events, gender and obesity: A prospective, population-based study of adolescents in British Columbia.

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Stressful life events, gender and obesity: A prospective, population-based study of adolescents in British Columbia.

Similar Datasets

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