Associations between serum homocysteine levels and anxiety and depression among children and adolescents in Taiwan
Abstract Although evidence suggests that homocysteine levels are elevated in severe mental illness in children, findings regarding homocysteine levels in youth with anxiety and depression are scarce. Therefore, this study examined the association of homocysteine levels with anxiety and depression in...
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| Format: | Article |
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Nature Portfolio
2017-08-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-08568-9 |
| _version_ | 1818432262125912064 |
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| author | Kuo-Hsuan Chung Hung-Yi Chiou Yi-Hua Chen |
| author_facet | Kuo-Hsuan Chung Hung-Yi Chiou Yi-Hua Chen |
| author_sort | Kuo-Hsuan Chung |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Although evidence suggests that homocysteine levels are elevated in severe mental illness in children, findings regarding homocysteine levels in youth with anxiety and depression are scarce. Therefore, this study examined the association of homocysteine levels with anxiety and depression in a community sample of students aged 6–13 years. In total, 649 students were selected from the first, fourth, and seventh grades of schools in Taipei, Taiwan, in 2010. These students completed a hospital-based health examination, which included physical examination, blood sample collection, and questionnaire administration. The data were analysed through multiple linear regression. Among the seventh-grade boys, both depression (adjusted β = 0.044, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.004–0.084) and anxiety (adjusted β = 0.052, 95% CI = 0.013–0.091) were independently associated with increased homocysteine levels. In further dichotomisation, compared with students with low anxiety levels, those with moderate to high anxiety levels were significantly positively associated with elevated serum homocysteine levels (adjusted β = 0.091, 95% CI = 0.003–0.180). Our results suggest that increased depression and anxiety may be positively associated with higher serum homocysteine levels in older boys. Our results provide essential data on the biological aspects underlying anxiety and depression in the studied population. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T16:02:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c7f4663e38f0414a967904b2504a2486 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T16:02:24Z |
| publishDate | 2017-08-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-c7f4663e38f0414a967904b2504a24862022-12-21T22:55:10ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222017-08-01711710.1038/s41598-017-08568-9Associations between serum homocysteine levels and anxiety and depression among children and adolescents in TaiwanKuo-Hsuan Chung0Hung-Yi Chiou1Yi-Hua Chen2Department of Psychiatry, Taipei Medical University Hospital, 252 Wu-Hsing St.School of Public Health, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing StSchool of Public Health, College of Public Health, Taipei Medical University, 250 Wu-Hsing StAbstract Although evidence suggests that homocysteine levels are elevated in severe mental illness in children, findings regarding homocysteine levels in youth with anxiety and depression are scarce. Therefore, this study examined the association of homocysteine levels with anxiety and depression in a community sample of students aged 6–13 years. In total, 649 students were selected from the first, fourth, and seventh grades of schools in Taipei, Taiwan, in 2010. These students completed a hospital-based health examination, which included physical examination, blood sample collection, and questionnaire administration. The data were analysed through multiple linear regression. Among the seventh-grade boys, both depression (adjusted β = 0.044, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.004–0.084) and anxiety (adjusted β = 0.052, 95% CI = 0.013–0.091) were independently associated with increased homocysteine levels. In further dichotomisation, compared with students with low anxiety levels, those with moderate to high anxiety levels were significantly positively associated with elevated serum homocysteine levels (adjusted β = 0.091, 95% CI = 0.003–0.180). Our results suggest that increased depression and anxiety may be positively associated with higher serum homocysteine levels in older boys. Our results provide essential data on the biological aspects underlying anxiety and depression in the studied population.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-08568-9 |
| spellingShingle | Kuo-Hsuan Chung Hung-Yi Chiou Yi-Hua Chen Associations between serum homocysteine levels and anxiety and depression among children and adolescents in Taiwan Scientific Reports |
| title | Associations between serum homocysteine levels and anxiety and depression among children and adolescents in Taiwan |
| title_full | Associations between serum homocysteine levels and anxiety and depression among children and adolescents in Taiwan |
| title_fullStr | Associations between serum homocysteine levels and anxiety and depression among children and adolescents in Taiwan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Associations between serum homocysteine levels and anxiety and depression among children and adolescents in Taiwan |
| title_short | Associations between serum homocysteine levels and anxiety and depression among children and adolescents in Taiwan |
| title_sort | associations between serum homocysteine levels and anxiety and depression among children and adolescents in taiwan |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-08568-9 |
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