A randomized controlled trial on the effects of blue-blocking glasses compared to partial blue-blockers on sleep outcomes in the third trimester of pregnancy

Objective Sleep disturbances are common in pregnancy. Blocking blue light has been shown to improve sleep and may be a suitable intervention for sleep problems during pregnancy. The present study investigated the effects of blue light blocking in the evening and during nocturnal awakenings among pregnant women on primary sleep outcomes in terms of total sleep time, sleep efficiency and mid-point of sleep. Methods In a double-blind randomized controlled trial, 60 healthy nulliparous pregnant women in the beginning of the third trimester were included. They were randomized, using a random number generator, either to a blue-blocking glass intervention (n = 30) or to a control glass condition constituting partial blue-blocking effect (n = 30). Baseline data were recorded for one week and outcomes were recorded in the last of two intervention/control weeks. Sleep was measured by actigraphy, sleep diaries, the Bergen Insomnia Scale, the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale and the Pre-Sleep Arousal Scale. Results The results on the primary outcomes showed no significant mean difference between the groups at posttreatment, neither when assessed with sleep diary; total sleep time (difference = .78[min], 95%CI = -19.7, 21.3), midpoint of sleep (difference = -8.9[min], 95%CI = -23.7, 5.9), sleep efficiency (difference = -.06[%], 95%CI = -1.9, 1.8) and daytime functioning (difference = -.05[score points], 95%CI = -.33, .22), nor by actigraphy; total sleep time (difference = 13.0[min], 95%CI = -9.5, 35.5), midpoint of sleep (difference = 2.1[min], 95%CI = -11.6, 15.8) and sleep efficiency (difference = 1.7[%], 95%CI = -.4, 3.7). On the secondary outcomes, the Bergen Insomnia Scale, the Karolinska Sleepiness Scale and the Pre-Sleep Arousal Scale the blue-blocking glasses no statistically significant difference between the groups were found. Transient side-effects were reported in both groups (n = 3). Conclusions The use of blue-blocking glasses compared to partially blue-blocking glasses in a group of healthy pregnant participants did not show statistically significant effects on sleep outcomes. Research on the effects of blue-blocking glasses for pregnant women with sleep-problems or circadian disturbances is warranted.publishedVersio

A randomized controlled trial on the effect of blue-blocking glasses compared to partial blue-blockers on melatonin profile among nulliparous women in third trimester of the pregnancy

Objective In pregnancy melatonin regulates circadian rhythms, induce sleep, and has a neuroprotective positive effect on fetal development. Artificial blue light in the evening delays and suppresses melatonin production. Thus, we investigated the effect of blocking blue light on the melatonin profile. Methods A randomized controlled trial (n=30 blue-blocking glasses vs. n=30 control glasses with partial blue-blocking effect) including healthy nulliparous pregnant women in the beginning of the third trimester. Salivary melatonin and subjective sleep were measured before and after two weeks of intervention/control condition. Saliva was sampled at 30-min intervals from 3 h before normal bedtime. Melatonin onset was set at 4.0 pg/ml. Results Due to missing data melatonin onset was estimated for 47 participants. At posttreatment, melatonin onset advanced by 28 min in the blue-blocking group compared with the control condition (p=.019). Melatonin levels were significantly higher, favoring the blue-blocking glass condition, at clock time 20:00, 21:00 and 22:00 h, and for sample number 3 and 4. The phase angle (time interval) between melatonin onset and sleep bedtime and sleep onset time increased within the blue blocking group (+45 min and +41 min, respectively), but did not reach statistical significance compared to control condition (+13 min and +26 min, respectively). Conclusion Blocking blue light in the evening had a positive effect on the circadian system with an earlier onset and rise of melatonin levels in healthy nulliparous pregnant women. This demonstrated the effectiveness and feasibility of a simple non-pharmacological chronobiological intervention during pregnancy.publishedVersio

Social relationships, stress and infection risk in mother and child

This thesis draws on theoretical orientations and conceptual models of how social networks, the quality of social relationships and stressful conditions, are linked to physiological responses which can influence health and behaviour. The original contribution of this work was to add to the existing literature on the links between social relationships and health, by showing the degree to which couples’ relationship dissatisfaction during pregnancy is associated with the risk of infectious diseases in both mother and children. Additionally, the project provided empirical data to a relatively new theoretical contribution to this field of research, by investigating a hypothesis derived from social baseline theory. The project includes three research articles published in peer-reviewed journals. All three articles are based on data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study, a prospective population-based pregnancy cohort study conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. The first paper tested a hypothesis derived from social baseline theory. This theory gives a basis for understanding the impacts of social relationships on the regulation of metabolic resources. A hypothesis derived from social baseline theory is that relative social isolation leads to increased sugar intake. The present results supported this hypothesis by showing that perceived loneliness was associated with elevated intake of sugar-containing beverages. In contrast, high relationship satisfaction levels, marriage, supportive friends and a sense of togetherness at work were negatively associated with the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages. These associations remained statistically significant after controlling for scores for body mass index, weight-related self-image, depression, physical activity, educational level, age and income. Moreover, this pattern of associations was not found when sugary beverages were replaced with artificially sweetened beverages as outcome-variables, suggesting that sugar was the key component responsible for the associations between social factors and sugarcontaining beverages. The second paper explored the association between levels of relationship satisfaction and risk of infectious diseases among pregnant women. In addition, it examined whether relationship satisfaction interacted with the association between stressful life events and risk of infectious diseases during pregnancy. The results showed that, after controlling for socioeconomic factors and stressful life events, higher levels of relationship satisfaction at gestational week 15 were associated with a lower risk for 8 of 9 categories of infectious diseases during gestational weeks 17–30. Additionally, the results showed a positive association between the level of stressful life events and infectious diseases. However, no interaction effect was found between relationship satisfaction and stressful life events on the risk of infections. The third paper investigated the degree to which relationship dissatisfaction and stressful life events during pregnancy predicted risk for 8 categories of infectious diseases in children during their first year of life. The results showed that maternal relationship dissatisfaction was associated with increased risk for all tested infectious diseases among infants less than 6 months old and increased risk for 7 categories of diseases among 6–12-month-old children. The associations remained statistically significant after adjusting for scores for socioeconomic factors, prenatal stressful life events, smoking, maternal depression, breastfeeding, child’s sex and use of childcare. It was also found that maternal stressful life events were associated with 7 of 8 groups of diseases in both age groups of children. Finally, the results showed that pregnant women who experienced higher degrees of relationship dissatisfaction and higher numbers of stressful life events reported a higher frequency and greater variety of infectious diseases in their children. Overall, this work supports that couples’ relationship dissatisfaction during pregnancy is associated with the risk of infectious diseases in both mother and children. Additionally, it provides support for social baseline theory by demonstrating that loneliness, relationship quality, and other social factors were associated with the level of consumption of sugary beverages. Thus, the project provided empirical data to a relatively new theoretical contribution to the field of research concerned with how social relationships are linked to physiological responses which in turn have the potential of influencing health and behaviour

Relationship Satisfaction Reduces the Risk of Maternal Infectious Diseases in Pregnancy: The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study

Objectives: The aims of this study were to explore the degree to which relationship satisfaction predicts the risk of infectious diseases during pregnancy and to examine whether relationship satisfaction moderates the association between stressful life events and the risk of infections. Methods: This was a prospective study based on data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (MoBa) conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Pregnant women (n = 67,244) completed questionnaires concerning relationship satisfaction and nine different categories of infectious diseases as well as socioeconomic characteristics and stressful life events. Associations between the predictor variables and the infectious diseases were assessed by logistic regression analyses. A multiple regression analysis was performed to assess a possible interaction of relationship satisfaction with stressful life events on the risk for infectious diseases. Results: After controlling for marital status, age, education, income, and stressful life events, high levels of relationship satisfaction at week 15 of gestation were found to predict a significantly lower risk for eight categories of infectious diseases at gestational weeks 17–30. No significant interaction effect was found between relationship satisfaction and stressful life events on the risk for infections

Loneliness, social integration and consumption of sugar-containing beverages: Testing the social baseline theory

Objective: Social Baseline Theory (SBT) proposes that close relationships aid in metabolic resource management and that individuals without significant relationships may experience more demands on their own neural metabolic resources on a daily basis when solving problems, remaining vigilant against potential threats and regulating emotional responses. This study tests a hypothesised consequence derived from SBT: relative social isolation leads to increased levels of sugar intake. Methods: Based on cross-sectional, self-reported data from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study (N = 90 084), information on social integration and the consumption of both sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened sodas and juices was obtained from a large number of women in early pregnancy. Multiple regression analyses were conducted to assess whether loneliness, marital status, relationship satisfaction, advice from others than partner, and cohesion at work is associated with consumption of sodas and juices. Results: Perceived loneliness was associated with elevated intake of all sugary beverages, while relationship satisfaction was negatively associated with all sugary beverages. Being married or cohabitating, having supportive friends, and having a sense of togetherness at work were associated with lower intake of two out of three sugar-containing beverages. These associations were significant, even after controlling for factors such as body mass index, weight related self-image, depression, physical activity, educational level, age and income. In comparison, a statistically significant relationship emerged between relationship satisfaction and artificially sweetened cola. No other predictor variables were significantly associated with any type of artificially sweetened beverage. Conclusions: This study indicates that loneliness and social integration influence the level of consumption of sugary beverages. The results support the hypothesis derived from the Social Baseline Theory that relative social isolation leads to increased levels of sugar intake

Marital Quality and Stress in Pregnancy Predict the Risk of Infectious Disease in the Offspring: The Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study

Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore the degree to which couples’ relationship dissatisfaction and stressful life events during pregnancy predict the risk of infectious disease in the offspring during their first year of life. Methods: Data were obtained from the Norwegian Mother and Child Cohort Study, conducted by the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. Pregnant women completed questionnaires in week 30 of pregnancy concerning the couples’ relationship satisfaction and stressful life events. In follow-up questionnaires, the women reported whether their children (n = 74,801) had been subject to various categories of infectious disease: the common cold, throat infection, bronchitis, RS virus, pneumonia, pseudocroup, gastric flu, ear infection, conjunctivitis and urinary tract infection. Reports from two age groups of infants were used. Associations between the predictor and outcome variables were assessed via logistic regression and linear regression analyses. Results: Separate logistic regression analyses for each disease and age group showed that prenatal relationship dissatisfaction and stressful life events were significantly associated with all reported categories of infectious disease. After controlling for socioeconomic factors, social support, smoking, breastfeeding, maternal depression, the sex of the offspring, and use of child care, 29 out of 32 tested associations were statistically significant. Finally, multivariate linear regression analyses showed that prenatal relationship dissatisfaction and stressful life events were significantly associated with the frequency, as well as the variety, of infectious disease in the offspring

Unstandardised and standardised regression coefficients for relationship dissatisfaction and stressful life events in pregnancy on number of infectious diseases in the offspring.

<p>¹ Frequency = the number of reported episodes of infections across the eight categories of diseases.</p><p>² Variety = the number of categories of infectious diseases that were reported.</p><p>^a Adjusted for scores on stressful life events, age, level of education, income, marital status, social support, smoking, maternal depression, breastfeeding and sex of the offspring.</p><p>^b Adjusted for scores on relationship dissatisfaction, age, level of education, income, marital status, social support, smoking, maternal depression, breastfeeding and sex of the offspring.</p><p>^c Adjusted for scores on stressful life events, age, level of education, income, marital status, social support, smoking, maternal depression, breastfeeding, sex of the offspring and use of childcare.</p><p>^d Adjusted for scores on relationship dissatisfaction, age, level of education, income, marital status, social support, smoking, maternal depression, breastfeeding, sex of the offspring and use of childcare.</p><p>Unstandardised and standardised regression coefficients for relationship dissatisfaction and stressful life events in pregnancy on number of infectious diseases in the offspring.</p

La Petite presse : journal quotidien... / [rédacteur en chef : Balathier Bragelonne]

11 février 18741874/02/11 (N2836)

Multiple regression analyses: predicted scores for consumption of soda (other than cola), cola and juices from scores for loneliness, marital status (co-habiting and married), relationship satisfaction, advice from others, and cohesion at work.

<p>Results are adjusted for scores on participation in sports, physical strain at work, body mass index, weight related self-image, depression, age, level of education and income.</p><p>** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2 tailed).</p><p>* Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2 tailed).</p

Mean scores, standard deviations of scores, and Pearson product moment coefficients for inter-correlations of scores for main predictor variables and consumption of soda, cola and juice.

<p>** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2 tailed).</p><p>* Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (2 tailed).</p><p>N varies from n = 29010 (lowest) to n = 65693 (highest).</p