Table 1:
Hair cortisol concentrations according to study population characteristics (N=97 participants, each with one distal and one proximal hair segment).
| Characteristic | Mean (SD) or % | Proximal 1st trimester hair (0-3cm) |
Distal 1st trimester hair (6-9cm) |
||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geometric Mean HCC in pg/mg (SD) | Pa | Geometric Mean HCC in pg/mg (SD) | Pa | ||
| All Participants (N=97) | 5.1 (2.6) | - | 3.4 (2.5) | - | |
| Maternal age (years), mean (SD) | 26.5 (5.8) | - | - | - | - |
| Maternal age (years), % | |||||
| 18-19 | 12.4% | 7.2 (2.4) | 0.35 | 5.9 (1.8) | 0.25 |
| 20-29 | 54.6% | 4.4 (2.5) | 3.7 (2.1) | ||
| 30-34 | 21.7% | 5.8 (3.1) | 3.1 (3.6) | ||
| ≥35 | 11.3% | 5.9 (2.2) | 4.5 (3.1) | ||
| Gestational age at enrollment (weeks), mean (SD) | 13.1 (3.9) | - | - | - | - |
| Gestational age at delivery (weeks), mean (SD) | 39.0 (1.0) | - | - | - | - |
| Early pregnancy body mass index (kg/m2), mean (SD) | 25.4 (3.6) | - | - | - | - |
| Early pregnancy body mass index (kg/m2), % | |||||
| 18.5-24.9 | 49.5% | 4.2 (2.5) | 0.11 | 3.4 (2.2) | 0.41 |
| 25.0-29.9 | 42.3% | 6.1 (2.7) | 4.2 (2.7) | ||
| ≥30.0 | 8.3% | 7.2 (2.1) | 5.0 (3.6) | ||
| Education (years), % | |||||
| 7-12 | 39.2% | 7.5 (2.0) | 0.002 | 5.0 (1.9) | 0.030 |
| >12 | 60.8% | 4.0 (2.8) | 3.3 (2.9) | ||
| Smoked prior to this pregnancy, % | |||||
| No | 85.6% | 5.3 (2.6) | 0.43 | 3.7 (2.6) | 0.44 |
| Yes | 14.4% | 4.3 (3.0) | 4.6 (2.1) | ||
| Alcohol consumption prior to this pregnancy, % | |||||
| No | 77.3% | 5.4 (2.3) | 0.28 | 4.3 (2.4) | 0.033 |
| Yes | 22.7% | 4.2 (3.7) | 2.7 (2.9) | ||
| Prior asthma diagnosis ever, % | |||||
| No | 89.7% | 5.7 (2.4) | 0.001 | 4.0 (2.5) | 0.37 |
| Yes | 10.3% | 2.1 (3.4) | 3.0 (3.0) | ||
| Ethnicity, % | |||||
| Mestizo | 85.6% | 5.0 (2.5) | 0.59 | 3.8 (2.7) | 0.57 |
| Other | 14.4% | 5.8 (3.4) | 4.4 (1.6) | ||
| Married or living with partner, % | |||||
| No | 20.6% | 6.4 (1.8) | 0.25 | 3.5 (3.0) | 0.63 |
| Yes | 79.4% | 4.9 (2.8) | 4.0 (2.4) | ||
| Employed during pregnancy, % | |||||
| No | 53.6% | 5.6 (2.4) | 0.34 | 3.4 (2.7) | 0.16 |
| Yes | 46.4% | 4.6 (2.9) | 4.5 (2.3) | ||
| Difficulty paying for basics, % | |||||
| No | 58.8% | 4.7 (2.7) | 0.26 | 3.7 (2.4) | 0.67 |
| Yes | 41.2% | 5.9 (2.5) | 4.1 (2.7) | ||
| Planned pregnancy, % | |||||
| No | 71.1% | 4.9 (2.7) | 0.42 | 3.7 (2.7) | 0.54 |
| Yes | 28.9% | 5.8 (2.4) | 4.2 (2.2) | ||
| First pregnancy, % | |||||
| No | 55.7% | 5.3 (2.7) | 0.78 | 3.8 (2.8) | 0.85 |
| Yes | 44.3% | 5.0 (2.6) | 3.9 (2.2) | ||
| Fair or poor health prior to this pregnancy, % | |||||
| No | 75.3% | 4.8 (2.8) | 0.26 | 3.7 (2.7) | 0.47 |
| Yes | 24.7% | 6.2 (2.1) | 4.4 (2.0) | ||
| Fair or poor health during this pregnancy, % | |||||
| No | 32.0% | 5.1 (3.1) | 0.98 | 3.9 (2.0) | 0.97 |
| Yes | 68.0% | 5.1 (2.4) | 3.9 (2.8) | ||
| Perceived stress score at enrollment, mean (SD) b | 29.0 (4.9) | - | - | - | - |
| Perceived stress score at enrollment, % | |||||
| Tertile 1 (Low) | 44.3% | 6.2 (2.4) | 0.21 | 4.0 (2.8) | 0.73 |
| Tertile 2 (Middle) | 27.8% | 4.2 (2.6) | 3.4 (1.9) | ||
| Tertile 3 (High) | 27.8% | 4.6 (2.8) | 4.1 (2.8) | ||
| Generalized anxiety disorder score, mean (SD) | 5.0 (3.4) | - | - | - | - |
| Generalized anxiety score ≥7, % | |||||
| No | 66.0% | 5.9 (2.4) | 0.051 | 3.9 (2.4) | 0.92 |
| Yes | 34.0% | 3.9 (2.9) | 3.8 (2.8) | ||
| Patient Health Questionnaire score, mean (SD) c | 6.5 (4.1) | - | - | - | - |
| Patient Health Questionnaire score ≥10, % | |||||
| No | 75.3% | 5.3 (2.7) | 0.39 | 3.7 (2.6) | 0.65 |
| Yes | 23.7% | 4.4 (2.2) | 4.1 (2.3) | ||
| Patient Health Questionnaire score, % c | |||||
| Minimal depression, score <5 | 34.4% | 5.1 (2.2) | 0.85 | 3.6 (2.4) | 0.94 |
| Moderate depression, score 5-9 | 41.7% | 5.5 (3.2) | 3.8 (2.8) | ||
| Moderately severe depression, score 10-14 | 17.7% | 4.3 (2.5) | 4.3 (2.6) | ||
| Severe depression, score ≥ 15 | 6.3% | 4.5 (1.5) | 3.6 (1.6) | ||
| Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Checklist for Civilians score ≥26, % | |||||
| No | 80.4% | 5.0 (2.7) | 0.63 | 3.8 (2.6) | 0.67 |
| Yes | 19.6% | 5.6 (2.3) | 4.2 (2.1) | ||
| Hair color, % | |||||
| Black | 55.7% | 5.4 (2.4) | 0.65 | 3.9 (2.5) | 0.79 |
| Dark Brown | 42.3% | 4.9 (2.9) | 3.8 (2.6) | ||
| Light Brown | 2.1% | 3.0 (1.7) | 6.0 (1.6) | ||
| Hair structure, % | |||||
| Straight | 68.0% | 4.5 (2.7) | 0.040 | 3.7 (2.4) | 0.49 |
| Curly | 32.0% | 6.9 (2.2) | 4.3 (2.9) | ||
| Hair wash frequency (per week), % | |||||
| 1-2 times | 5.2% | 7.6 (3.6) | 0.28 | 5.2 (3.4) | 0.74 |
| 3-5 times | 78.4% | 4.7 (2.6) | 3.8 (2.6) | ||
| 6-7 times | 16.5% | 6.6 (2.2) | 4.1 (1.8) | ||
| Use of shampoo or conditioner when washing, % | |||||
| Shampoo only | 34.0% | 5.7 (2.5) | 0.43 | 4.7 (2.1) | 0.15 |
| Shampoo and conditioner | 66.0% | 4.9 (2.7) | 3.5 (2.7) | ||
| Chemical hair treatment use (tint, dye, or perm) | |||||
| No | 60.8% | 4.5 (2.8) | 0.12 | 3.8 (2.3) | 0.81 |
| Yes | 39.2% | 6.2 (2.3) | 4.0 (2.9) | ||
| Hair cutting frequency | |||||
| Every month | 10.3% | 5.7 (2.5) | 0.59 | 2.6 (2.5) | 0.75 |
| Every 3 months | 32.0% | 4.2 (3.6) | 3.5 (3.4) | ||
| Every 6 months | 30.9% | 5.3 (2.3) | 4.2 (2.3) | ||
| Once a year | 18.6% | 7.0 (1.9) | 4.5 (1.8) | ||
| Other | 8.3% | 4.9 (1.8) | 4.2 (1.8) | ||
| UV light exposure in first trimester d | |||||
| Low | 20.6% | 3.4 (2.6) | 0.046 | 4.4 (2.1) | 0.73 |
| Intermediate | 62.9% | 5.4 (2.6) | 3.6 (2.9) | ||
| High | 16.5% | 7.2 (2.3) | 4.1 (1.5) | ||
P-values in bold are statistically significant at the alpha 0.05 level
Abbreviations: HCC= hair cortisol concentration and SD= standard deviation
a
=Student’s t-test p-values for differences in mean logHCC across two categories, and ANOVA p-values for differences in mean logHCC across three or more categories.
b
=N=95 participants, each with one proximal and one distal hair segment
c
=N=96 participants, each with one proximal and one distal hair segment
d
=UV light categories were defined as “low” if hair growth occurred during the non-summer months of May through November only, “intermediate” if they occurred during both summer and non-Summer months, and “high” if occurred during the summer months of December to April only.