Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40399447›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of obesity (2005)2025

Family stress and child BMIz during the COVID-19 pandemic: exploring the mediating effects of cortisol.

Sabrina Douglas, Amar Laila, Paul F Tremblay, Andrea C Buchholz, Alison L Miller, Shannon M Pare, Elizabeth Gunn, Alison M Duncan, David W L Ma, Lori Ann Vallis and 2 more

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in International journal of obesity (2005), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Sabrina DouglasDepartment of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada. sdougl02@uoguelph.ca.ORCID 0000-0002-3342-1421
Amar LailaDepartment of Human Health and Nutrition Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Paul F TremblayDepartment of Psychology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.
Andrea C BuchholzDepartment of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Alison L MillerDepartment of Health Behaviour and Health Equity, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-9866-0204
Shannon M PareDepartment of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.ORCID 0000-0001-6043-2487
Elizabeth GunnCentre for Metabolism, Obesity & Diabetes Research, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
Alison M DuncanDepartment of Human Health and Nutrition Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
David W L MaDepartment of Human Health and Nutrition Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Lori Ann VallisDepartment of Human Health and Nutrition Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
Katherine M Morrison *Centre for Metabolism, Obesity & Diabetes Research, Department of Pediatrics, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-1737-256X
Jess Haines *Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPrevious research has suggested that children who are exposed to chronic stress are at greater risk for childhood obesity, however little research has examined the mechanism of this association. This study aimed to investigate the association between family and household stress during the COVID-19 pandemic and children's BMIz, and whether children's hair cortisol concentration (HCC) mediates this association.

methodsThis study used baseline data from 228 children 2-6 years from the Family Stress Study, a prospective cohort study of families with children 2-6 years. Parents responded to an online survey which assessed family and household stressors including family functioning, home chaos, financial insecurity, food insecurity, parental depression, parenting stress, stressful life events, and COVID-19 stressors. A total family chronic stress index score was calculated from parents' responses on these measures. Hair samples were collected from children to assess their HCC. The Hayes PROCESS mediation macro was used to assess the total, direct, and indirect effect of the family chronic stress index on child BMIz, adjusting for household income and child ethnicity/race.

resultsWe found that the family chronic stress index was associated with higher child BMIz (b = 0.815, 95% CI = 0.181-1.449), but this association was not mediated by children's HCC (b = 0.004, CI = -0.042-0.076).

conclusionsFuture research should continue to investigate hair cortisol as a measure of chronic stress among children younger than 6 years and explore other mechanisms of how chronic stress is associated with children's weight outcomes, such as through parenting practices that influence children's eating behaviour or physical activity, or children's weight-related behaviours.

Indexed as

Body Mass IndexCOVID-19HydrocortisonePediatric ObesityStress, PsychologicalChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHairHumansMalePandemicsProspective StudiesSARS-CoV-2Hydrocortisone

Identifiers

PMID40399447

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.