Association of Differential Symptoms of Stress to Hair Cortisol and Cortisone Concentrations among Pregnant Women in Kenya.

Conclusions: Specific stress symptoms may have unique relationships to specific biomarkers and be more useful in assessment than general perceived stress. Assays of both hair cortisol and cortisone might enable a more comprehensive assessment of glucocorticoid activity and better prediction of health risks from stress.Lay Summary: Understanding stress among rural pregnant Kenyan women may help in addressing risks during pregnancy that lead to adverse birth outcomes. Findings suggest that a woman's tendency to think negatively about life and to doubt her ability to handle life's problems are symptoms of stress that may contribute to higher levels of stress hormones. Assessing women's specific symptoms of stress and different stress hormones during pregnancy may more effectively identify women who need intervention to reduce their health risk. PMID: 31747807 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Stress - Category: Research Tags: Stress Source Type: research