Category Archives: SHORT REPORT

Leukocyte telomere length predicts subsequent infectious morbidity among Colombian schoolchildren

Posted on 9 October 2023 by nGwenyth O. Lee, nMercedes Mora‐Plazas, nConstanza Marín, nEduardo Villamorn

Abstract

Objective

Telomere length (TL) attrition is related to chronic disease risk. However, less is known on whether TL predicts infectious outcomes, especially in childhood. We examined whether leukocyte TL (LTL) was associated with subsequent infectious morbidity in schoolchildren.

Methods

We assessed LTL in 717 Colombian children 5–12 years-old at the beginning of a school year and followed them through the year for daily occurrence of common infection symptoms and doctor visits. We estimated adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) of gastrointestinal and respiratory syndromes for quartiles of standardized LTL Z score and per unit LTL Z score.

Results

A longer LTL was associated with increased incidence of all infectious morbidity syndromes considered. Adjusted IRR (95% CI) per unit LTL Z score were 1.55 (1.20, 2.00) for diarrhea with vomiting, 1.34 (1.13, 1.60) for cough with fever, 1.70 (1.28, 2.28) for ear infection, and 1.66 (1.36, 2.02) for doctor visits with symptoms.

Conclusions

Longer LTL is related to increased incidence of common infectious morbidities in middle childhood.

Sleep duration in middle childhood and age at menarche

Posted on 9 October 2023 by nMia Q. Zhu, nMercedes Mora‐Plazas, nConstanza Marín, nEduardo Villamorn

Abstract

Objective

Puberty affects sleep phasing. However, it is unclear if sleep duration earlier in childhood could influence the timing of pubertal events. We aimed to assess the association between middle childhood nighttime sleep duration and age at menarche (AAM).

Methods

In a cohort of 819 premenarcheal Colombian girls who were followed annually for the occurrence of menarche, we estimated adjusted hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) for menarche by categories of recommended sleep duration in middle childhood using Cox models. Analyses were stratified by age at sleep assessment.

Results

Among girls aged 9 to <11 years, compared with girls who slept within recommendations, sleeping above recommendations was related to an adjusted 76% (95% CI: 4%, 198%; p = .04) higher probability of experiencing menarche during follow up. In girls aged ≥11 years, compared with girls who slept within recommendations, sleeping under recommendations was related to an adjusted 42% (95% CI: 5%, 93%; p = .03) higher probability of experiencing menarche during follow-up. Sleep duration was not associated with AAM in girls aged <9 years at the time of sleep assessment.

Conclusions

Sleeping above recommendations in girls 9 to <11 years-old and sleeping under recommendations in girls ≥11 years-old is associated with earlier menarche.