Department of Health Sciences, California State University-Northridge, Northridge, California.
J Adolesc Health. 2013 Oct;53(4):506-11. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2013.04.020. Epub 2013 Jun 12.
There is growing evidence that racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic status (SES) differentials in health emerge early in life. This study provided a descriptive profile of allostatic load (AL) among adolescents, focusing on sociodemographic correlates and variation in age patterns of AL by race and ethnicity. Allostatic load, an index of cumulative physiological dysregulation, is a construct that measures how individuals' interactions with their environment "get under the skin" to influence health.
We used data from 8,052 adolescents ages 12-19 years, from the United States National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999-2008. A summary measure of AL was assessed with biomarkers representing cardiovascular, inflammatory, and metabolic systems. Weighted univariate, bivariate, and multivariable negative binomial regression statistics were employed.
Mean AL increased with age, was higher for blacks than whites or Mexican-Americans, and was higher among adolescents of lower SES. Although black adolescents had higher AL for all ages, the relative advantage of whites and Mexican-Americans declined with age.
Racial and SES inequalities in AL exist during adolescence. These findings contribute to the understanding of how early life adverse factors "get under the skin," and are potentially translated into disease outcomes and health disparities later in life.
越来越多的证据表明，健康方面的种族、民族和社会经济地位（SES）差异在生命早期就出现了。本研究提供了青少年的应激激素负荷（AL）的描述性概况，重点介绍了 SES 相关因素以及 AL 的年龄模式在种族和民族方面的差异。应激激素负荷是一种累积生理失调的指标，用于衡量个体与环境的相互作用如何“深入皮肤”影响健康。
我们使用了来自美国国家健康和营养检查调查 1999-2008 年的 8052 名 12-19 岁青少年的数据。使用代表心血管、炎症和代谢系统的生物标志物评估 AL 的综合指标。采用加权单变量、双变量和多变量负二项回归统计数据。
平均 AL 随年龄增长而增加，黑人高于白人或墨西哥裔美国人，SES 较低的青少年 AL 更高。尽管黑人青少年在所有年龄段的 AL 都较高，但白人和墨西哥裔美国人的相对优势随着年龄的增长而下降。
青少年时期存在 AL 的种族和 SES 不平等。这些发现有助于理解早期生活中的不利因素如何“深入皮肤”，并可能转化为以后生活中的疾病结局和健康差异。
