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Length of gestation and depressive symptoms at age 60 years

Length of gestation and depressive symptoms at age 60 years
Length of gestation and depressive symptoms at age 60 years
BACKGROUND: A non-optimal foetal environment, reflected in smaller birth size and shorter duration of gestation, is a risk factor for compromised health later in life. AIMS: To examine whether smaller birth size and shorter gestation predict depressive symptoms.
METHOD: A total of 1371 members of a cohort born between 1934 and 1944 at term (259-294 days'gestation) in Helsinki, Finland, completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D) at an average age of 61.5 years (BDI) and 63.4 years (BDI and CES-D).
RESULTS: Gestational length predicted depressive symptoms linearly and independently of gender and birth weight: per day decrease in gestational length, depressive symptoms scores increased by 0.8-0.9% (95% CI 0.2-1.4, P<0.009). Weight, length and head circumference at birth showed no linear association with depression, adjusted for gender and gestational length. The results did not change when further controlled for socio-economic characteristics at birth and in adulthood, age and body mass index in adulthood.
CONCLUSIONS: Susceptibility to depressive symptoms may relate to shorter length of gestation.
female, risk factors, disease susceptibility, etiology, size, middle aged, environment, psychology, epidemiology, weight, depressive disorder, premature birth, research, body mass index, health, finland, risk, male, pregnancy, birth, depression, head, cohort, cohort studies, psychiatric status rating scales, birth weight, humans, birth-weight
0007-1250
469-474
Raikkonen, K.
926aba17-06cd-417b-b20f-ae400a2596a6
Pesonen, A.K.
edd22dbe-e07d-4212-a476-aaff63f619f5
Kajantie, E.
d4e32f85-9988-4b83-b353-012210ea0151
Heinonen, K.
667793ce-59c1-43d0-9f53-4f7790a9ed94
Forsen, T.
009ce53c-8bbf-4c5c-a21f-0bbdd1f999c4
Phillips, D.I.
29b73be7-2ff9-4fff-ae42-d59842df4cc6
Osmond, C.
2677bf85-494f-4a78-adf8-580e1b8acb81
Barker, D.J.
cabc3433-b628-43e5-9fd7-e6ff5769bf44
Eriksson, J.G.
eda300d2-b247-479f-95b9-f12d2c72e92b
Raikkonen, K.
926aba17-06cd-417b-b20f-ae400a2596a6
Pesonen, A.K.
edd22dbe-e07d-4212-a476-aaff63f619f5
Kajantie, E.
d4e32f85-9988-4b83-b353-012210ea0151
Heinonen, K.
667793ce-59c1-43d0-9f53-4f7790a9ed94
Forsen, T.
009ce53c-8bbf-4c5c-a21f-0bbdd1f999c4
Phillips, D.I.
29b73be7-2ff9-4fff-ae42-d59842df4cc6
Osmond, C.
2677bf85-494f-4a78-adf8-580e1b8acb81
Barker, D.J.
cabc3433-b628-43e5-9fd7-e6ff5769bf44
Eriksson, J.G.
eda300d2-b247-479f-95b9-f12d2c72e92b

Raikkonen, K., Pesonen, A.K., Kajantie, E., Heinonen, K., Forsen, T., Phillips, D.I., Osmond, C., Barker, D.J. and Eriksson, J.G. (2007) Length of gestation and depressive symptoms at age 60 years. British Journal of Psychiatry, 190, 469-474. (doi:10.1192/bjp.bp.106.022145).

Record type: Article

Abstract

BACKGROUND: A non-optimal foetal environment, reflected in smaller birth size and shorter duration of gestation, is a risk factor for compromised health later in life. AIMS: To examine whether smaller birth size and shorter gestation predict depressive symptoms.
METHOD: A total of 1371 members of a cohort born between 1934 and 1944 at term (259-294 days'gestation) in Helsinki, Finland, completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression scale (CES-D) at an average age of 61.5 years (BDI) and 63.4 years (BDI and CES-D).
RESULTS: Gestational length predicted depressive symptoms linearly and independently of gender and birth weight: per day decrease in gestational length, depressive symptoms scores increased by 0.8-0.9% (95% CI 0.2-1.4, P<0.009). Weight, length and head circumference at birth showed no linear association with depression, adjusted for gender and gestational length. The results did not change when further controlled for socio-economic characteristics at birth and in adulthood, age and body mass index in adulthood.
CONCLUSIONS: Susceptibility to depressive symptoms may relate to shorter length of gestation.

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More information

Published date: 2007
Keywords: female, risk factors, disease susceptibility, etiology, size, middle aged, environment, psychology, epidemiology, weight, depressive disorder, premature birth, research, body mass index, health, finland, risk, male, pregnancy, birth, depression, head, cohort, cohort studies, psychiatric status rating scales, birth weight, humans, birth-weight

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 61453
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/61453
ISSN: 0007-1250
PURE UUID: cfc81bf3-3343-4ebe-b458-0b8967b9b439
ORCID for C. Osmond: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0002-9054-4655

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Date deposited: 03 Sep 2008
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:50

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Contributors

Author: K. Raikkonen
Author: A.K. Pesonen
Author: E. Kajantie
Author: K. Heinonen
Author: T. Forsen
Author: D.I. Phillips
Author: C. Osmond ORCID iD
Author: D.J. Barker
Author: J.G. Eriksson

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