Grantee Research Project Results
2017 Progress Report: The Impact of PAH Exposure on Childhood Growth Trajectories and Visceral Adipose Tissue
EPA Grant Number: R836154C002Subproject: this is subproject number 002 , established and managed by the Center Director under grant R836154
(EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
Center: The Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health
Center Director: Perera, Frederica P.
Title: The Impact of PAH Exposure on Childhood Growth Trajectories and Visceral Adipose Tissue
Investigators: Rundle, Andrew
Institution: Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health
EPA Project Officer: Callan, Richard
Project Period: September 1, 2015 through August 31, 2019 (Extended to August 31, 2020)
Project Period Covered by this Report: May 1, 2016 through May 1,2017
RFA: Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Research Centers (2014) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Children's Health , Endocrine Disruptors , Human Health
Objective:
Aim 1: We will follow-up 350 CCCEH cohort children to ages 15 to 17 years old and measure abdominal subcutaneous adipose and visceral adipose tissue mass using MRI and fat mass index (FMI) using bio-impedance and anthropometric outcomes of height, weight, and waist circumference.
Aim 2: We will characterize growth and adiposity trajectories from childhood into adolescence.
Aim 3: We will apply cluster analysis to the anthropometric, eating behavior, physical activity and neurodevelopment and behavioral outcomes data collected at ages 15 to 17.
Aim 4 (integrative): All 3 projects in this P50 share a common cohort in which we will explore how prenatal PAH exposure dysregulates neurodevelopment (project 1) and physical growth (project 2) via its mediational effects on the brain (project 3).
Progress Summary:
In our second year, we have been working to recruit and enroll study subjects at ages 15 to 18. We have been collecting data on physical activity, hedonic eating, food insecurity, height, weight, waist circumference, percent body fat, and blood pressure from the teens and their mothers. We have also been collecting data on weight cycling, weight loss practices and weight loss surgery from the mothers, and resting heart rate and heart rate recovery after a step test from the teens. Further, the teens have been undergoing MRI scans of the abdomen to measure visceral abdominal fat.
We also have been performing QC/QA assessment on all anthropometric data collected between ages 5 and 12 under prior funding. The prior NIEHS/EPA funded Children’s Center projects collected anthropometric data from the children at ages 5, 7, 9, 11 and also between ages 8.5 and 12, and these have previously been treated as the canonical follow-up ages and data collections used in Center analyses. However, over the past 20 years, there have been numerous other NIH, Foundation, donor and internally funded studies and pilot projects that collected height and weight data on sub-sets of the children. For instance, lung function data were collected on several 100 children as part of externally funded project during which height and weight data were also collected. Similarly, an internally funded pilot project tested the feasibility of Tanner staging with the cohort children and height and weight data were collected as part of the pilot. We expect that across these projects there are another 500-600 sets of
anthropometric measures and that the incorporation of these measures will make our growth trajectory analyses more robust (Aim 2). We have been collecting and integrating these data into the Children’s Center main database and into our growth trajectory data set and have been doing QC/QA checks.
We have conducted assessments on 56 subjects during this project period, of which all have completed assessments of dietary variables, physical activity, anthropometrics and fitness, 53 subjects have completed the MRI protocol. To date, we have too few subjects assessed to conduct trajectory analysis involving newly-collected data. However, data analyses for two conference abstracts/posters have been completed and will be expanded to full manuscripts. Both abstracts find that maternal pre-pregnancy obesity, a major risk factor for childhood obesity, is associated with poorer child neurodevelopment among boys. The second abstract shows that the effect of pre-pregnancy obesity is independent (not confounded or nor modified) of prenatal exposures to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and chlorpyrifos.
In addition, Dr. Rundle has been working with a Masters student on her thesis project to study links between socio-economic status and material hardship from birth to age 11 and body composition (percent body fat and Fat Mass Index) trajectories at ages 7, 9 and 11. Although the analyses are not quite complete, thus far familial socio-economic status and material hardship do not predict differences in body fat. This finding did not support the hypotheses of these analyses.
Future Activities:
In the coming reporting period we will continue follow-up of the cohort members as they reach ages 16-18 years and expect to complete 144 follow-up visits. The next reporting period will continue to focus on intensive data collection from the study subjects. Clinical visits during which the study participants will visit the Center’s clinical offices, complete the anthropometric and fitness assessment, and provide data on dietary variables and physical activity testing and then have MRI scans at the CU Neurological Institute will be completed on weekdays and weekends. The recruitment and data collection will follow the approaches described in our grant application. The Data Core has established protocols for data acquisition, cleaning, storage and distribution to study investigators that will also ensure scientific rigor. We plan to continue to use DCC protocols.
Dr. Rundle will work with Dr. Peterson and statistician Dr. Goldsmith on all data analyses involving the integration of exposure and child anthropometric variables with MRI brain scan data collected at ages 9-11. Statistical models will be specified and implemented in each MRI modality, incorporating relevant covariates and addressing potential confounds as indicated. Findings will be interpreted and, based on those interpretations, manuscripts will be prepared and submitted for publication.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 3 publications for this subprojectSupplemental Keywords:
obesity, PAH, MRI, prenatal exposure, growth modelRelevant Websites:
http://ccceh.org/ Exit Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractMain Center Abstract and Reports:
R836154 The Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health Subprojects under this Center: (EPA does not fund or establish subprojects; EPA awards and manages the overall grant for this center).
R836154C001 The Impact of PAH Exposure on Adolescent Neurodevelopment: Disruption of Self-Regulatory Processes
R836154C002 The Impact of PAH Exposure on Childhood Growth Trajectories and Visceral Adipose Tissue
R836154C003 An MRI Study of the Effects of Prenatal and Early Childhood PAH Exposure on Brain Maturation and Its Mediating Influences on Adverse Adolescent Outcomes
The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.
Project Research Results
Main Center: R836154
12 publications for this center
9 journal articles for this center