Children’s Cortisol and Cell-Free DNA Trajectories in Relation to Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity in School: A Longitudinal Analysis

Education outside the classroom (EOtC) can be beneficial for students. The relationship between biological stress markers and sedentary behavior (SB) plus physical activity (PA) is insufficiently evaluated in school settings. This exploratory study aims to evaluate the association between students’ cortisol, plus circulating cell-free deoxyribonucleic acid (cfDNA) levels, and their SB, light PA (LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) during outdoor and indoor classes in different seasons. We assessed data from an education outside the classroom (EOtC) program (n = 48; intervention group [IG], n = 37; control group [CG], n = 11). We sampled data on 3 school-days in three seasons (fall, spring, and summer) in normal teaching indoors (CG) and outdoor lessons (IG) in the forest. SB and PA were evaluated by accelerometry, and cortisol and cfDNA levels by saliva samples. The compositional data analysis approach analyzed SB and PA. Fitted Bayesian hierarchical linear models evaluated the association between cortisol and cfDNA, and SB/LPA/MVPA. A steady decline of cortisol in the outdoor setting is associated with relatively high levels of LPA. SB and MVPA tended to exhibit a similar effect in the indoor setting. CfDNA is positively associated with a relatively high amount of SB in the IG, the same association is likely for LPA and MVPA in both groups. LPA seems to support a healthy cortisol decrease in children during outdoor lessons. The relevance of SB/PA as a composition in relation to students stress response in school should be emphasized. This study facilitates the formulation of straightforward and directed hypotheses for further research.

[1]  B. Gardner,et al.  Relationship between sedentary behavior and depression: A mediation analysis of influential factors across the lifespan among 42,469 people in low- and middle-income countries. , 2018, Journal of affective disorders.

[2]  P. Simon,et al.  Circulating, cell-free DNA as a marker for exercise load in intermittent sports , 2018, PloS one.

[3]  Tim Olds,et al.  INTEGRATING SLEEP, SEDENTARY BEHAVIOUR, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY RESEARCH IN THE EMERGING FIELD OF TIME-USE EPIDEMIOLOGY: DEFINITIONS, CONCEPTS, STATISTICAL METHODS, THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK, AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS , 2017 .

[4]  E. Adam,et al.  Diurnal cortisol slopes and mental and physical health outcomes: A systematic review and meta-analysis , 2017, Psychoneuroendocrinology.

[5]  Anna L. Marsland,et al.  The effects of acute psychological stress on circulating and stimulated inflammatory markers: A systematic review and meta-analysis , 2017, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

[6]  P. Simon,et al.  Increases in Circulating Cell-Free DNA During Aerobic Running Depend on Intensity and Duration. , 2017, International journal of sports physiology and performance.

[7]  Mikkel B. Schneller,et al.  University of Southern Denmark Measuring Children ' s Physical Activity Compliance Using Skin-taped Accelerometers , 2017 .

[8]  Mikkel B. Schneller,et al.  Are children participating in a quasi-experimental education outside the classroom intervention more physically active? , 2017, BMC Public Health.

[9]  K. Mekhora,et al.  Break in Sedentary Behavior Reduces the Risk of Noncommunicable Diseases and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors among Workers in a Petroleum Company , 2017, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[10]  P. Kirsch,et al.  Stress in School. Some Empirical Hints on the Circadian Cortisol Rhythm of Children in Outdoor and Indoor Classes , 2017, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[11]  H. Oster,et al.  Interaction between circadian rhythms and stress , 2016, Neurobiology of Stress.

[12]  P. Bentsen,et al.  Increased provision of udeskole in Danish schools: An updated national population survey , 2016 .

[13]  Mikkel B. Schneller,et al.  A quasi-experimental cross-disciplinary evaluation of the impacts of education outside the classroom on pupils’ physical activity, well-being and learning: the TEACHOUT study protocol , 2016, BMC Public Health.

[14]  L. Hui,et al.  Evaluation and comparison of in vitro degradation kinetics of DNA in serum, urine and saliva: A qualitative study. , 2016, Gene.

[15]  S. Rosenkranz,et al.  Comparing the effects of two different break strategies on occupational sedentary behavior in a real world setting: A randomized trial , 2016, Preventive medicine reports.

[16]  Stephen Hunter,et al.  Systematic review of sedentary behaviour and health indicators in school-aged children and youth: an update. , 2016, Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme.

[17]  William L. Haskell,et al.  Effects of Varying Epoch Lengths, Wear Time Algorithms, and Activity Cut-Points on Estimates of Child Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity from Accelerometer Data , 2016, PloS one.

[18]  P. Cianga,et al.  Saliva leukocytes rather than saliva epithelial cells represent the main source of DNA , 2016 .

[19]  Cecilia Boldemann,et al.  Suberythemal Sun Exposures at Swedish Schools Depend on Sky Views of the Outdoor Environments – Possible Implications for Pupils’ Health , 2016, Photochemistry and photobiology.

[20]  Dawn A. Skelton,et al.  Combined Effects of Time Spent in Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviors and Sleep on Obesity and Cardio-Metabolic Health Markers: A Novel Compositional Data Analysis Approach , 2015, PloS one.

[21]  S. Chastin,et al.  Meta‐analysis of the relationship between breaks in sedentary behavior and cardiometabolic health , 2015, Obesity.

[22]  Joel D. Barnes,et al.  Position Statement on Active Outdoor Play , 2015, International journal of environmental research and public health.

[23]  Alasdair M. Goodwill,et al.  Summary cortisol reactivity indicators: Interrelations and meaning , 2015, Neurobiology of Stress.

[24]  F. Laden,et al.  A Review of the Health Benefits of Greenness , 2015, Current Epidemiology Reports.

[25]  C. Frühbeis,et al.  Physical exercise induces rapid release of small extracellular vesicles into the circulation , 2015, Journal of extracellular vesicles.

[26]  M. Giacca,et al.  Exercise-induced increases in cell free DNA in human plasma originate predominantly from cells of the haematopoietic lineage. , 2015, Exercise immunology review.

[27]  Roger G Eston,et al.  Comparability of measured acceleration from accelerometry-based activity monitors. , 2015, Medicine and science in sports and exercise.

[28]  J. Brug,et al.  Sedentary behaviour and health in children - evaluating the evidence. , 2015, Preventive medicine.

[29]  T. Kubiak,et al.  Direct Quantification of Cell-Free, Circulating DNA from Unpurified Plasma , 2014, PloS one.

[30]  M. Pazzagli,et al.  Circulating cell-free DNA in cancer. , 2014, Methods in molecular biology.

[31]  J. Cwikel,et al.  Decrease in cell free DNA levels following participation in stress reduction techniques among women undergoing infertility treatment , 2014, Archives of Women's Mental Health.

[32]  M. Tu,et al.  Stability of the diurnal cortisol profile in children and adolescents , 2012, Psychoneuroendocrinology.

[33]  Lars Bo Andersen,et al.  Mechanical and free living comparisons of four generations of the Actigraph activity monitor , 2012, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

[34]  P. Filzmoser,et al.  Linear regression with compositional explanatory variables , 2012 .

[35]  Ilse de Bourdeaudhuij,et al.  Levels of physical activity and sedentary time among 10- to 12-year-old boys and girls across 5 European countries using accelerometers: an observational study within the ENERGY-project , 2012, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity.

[36]  P. Gustafsson,et al.  Effects of an outdoor education intervention on the mental health of schoolchildren , 2012 .

[37]  Alexandra J. Fiocco,et al.  Chronic stress, cognitive functioning and mental health , 2011, Neurobiology of Learning and Memory.

[38]  M. Depledge,et al.  Does participating in physical activity in outdoor natural environments have a greater effect on physical and mental wellbeing than physical activity indoors? A systematic review , 2011, Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

[39]  R. Mcmurray,et al.  The relationship between serum and salivary cortisol levels in response to different intensities of exercise. , 2011, International journal of sports physiology and performance.

[40]  R. Murison,et al.  Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews Stress Revisited: a Critical Evaluation of the Stress Concept , 2022 .

[41]  Cedric E. Ginestet.  ggplot2: Elegant Graphics for Data Analysis , 2011 .

[42]  Hinnak Northoff,et al.  Position statement. Part one: Immune function and exercise. , 2011, Exercise immunology review.

[43]  M. Blössner,et al.  Global prevalence and trends of overweight and obesity among preschool children. , 2010, The American journal of clinical nutrition.

[44]  C. Matthews,et al.  Too much sitting: the population health science of sedentary behavior. , 2010, Exercise and sport sciences reviews.

[45]  F. Jensen,et al.  The extent and dissemination of udeskole in Danish schools. , 2010 .

[46]  E. Mygind.  A comparison of childrens’ statements about social relations and teaching in the classroom and in the outdoor environment , 2009 .

[47]  B. McEwen,et al.  Effects of stress throughout the lifespan on the brain, behaviour and cognition , 2009, Nature Reviews Neuroscience.

[48]  Wayne M Glines,et al.  Epidemiology of mental disorders in children and adolescents , 2009, Dialogues in clinical neuroscience.

[49]  B. Kudielka,et al.  Salivary cortisol as a biomarker in stress research , 2009, Psychoneuroendocrinology.

[50]  A. Hackney,et al.  Exercise and circulating Cortisol levels: The intensity threshold effect , 2008, Journal of endocrinological investigation.

[51]  Raimon Tolosana-Delgado,et al.  "compositions": A unified R package to analyze compositional data , 2008, Comput. Geosci..

[52]  Erik Mygind,et al.  A comparison between children's physical activity levels at school and learning in an outdoor environment , 2007 .

[53]  A. Steptoe,et al.  The effects of acute psychological stress on circulating inflammatory factors in humans: A review and meta-analysis , 2007, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity.

[54]  J. Violanti,et al.  Area Under the Curve and Other Summary Indicators of Repeated Waking Cortisol Measurements , 2007, Psychosomatic medicine.

[55]  B. McEwen.  Stress, Definitions and Concepts of* , 2007 .

[56]  Andrew Gelman,et al.  Data Analysis Using Regression and Multilevel/Hierarchical Models , 2006 .

[57]  M. Rauh,et al.  Circadian rhythm of salivary cortisol, 17alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, and progesterone in healthy children. , 2003, Clinical chemistry.

[58]  C. Kirschbaum,et al.  Two formulas for computation of the area under the curve represent measures of total hormone concentration versus time-dependent change , 2003, Psychoneuroendocrinology.