Date of Award
2025
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science in Nutrition and Food Science
Department
Nutrition
First Advisor
Brietta Oaks
Abstract
Objective: Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) and high circulating cortisol during pregnancy have each been linked to adverse maternal and child outcomes such as preterm birth. However, limited research has explored the association between vitamin D status and cortisol concentration during pregnancy. Our objective for this study was to determine the association between vitamin D status and cortisol concentration among pregnant women.
Methods: The Prenatal Health and Nutrition (PHAN) study was a pilot cross-sectional study of 30 healthy pregnant women conducted in targeted areas in Rhode Island. Data was collected on sociodemographic characteristics, substance use, perceived stress scale, household food security, and 24-hour dietary recall. Blood samples were collected to estimate vitamin D status (25(OH)D). Participants provided 10 saliva samples over two days to estimate cortisol concentrations using a competitive ELISA. Cortisol concentrations were assessed over the 2-day period using area under the curve with respect to ground (AUCg). Adjusted and unadjusted linear and logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between vitamin D status and cortisol concentrations.
Results: Mean ± SD age was 29 ± 6 years and pre-pregnancy BMI was 28± 6 kg/m2. The mean ± SD of serum 25(OH)D concentration was 24 ± 9 ng/mL. Prevalence of VDD (< 20 ng/mL) and Vitamin D insufficiency (20-29 ng/mL) of 40% and 43%, respectively. In the unadjusted and adjusted linear regression models, there was no significant association between vitamin D status and cortisol concentration parameters such as AUCg (adjusted model β: 0.0298, 95% CI: -7.269, 13.244, p = 0.57) Additionally, no significant association was observed in the unadjusted and adjusted logistic regression models.
Conclusions: With a high prevalence of VDD among the pregnant women in this study population, advocacy for routine vitamin D supplementation and dietary intervention is certainly a call to action. Additionally, weak associations revealed in the dataset warrants further large cohort studies to explore the association between vitamin D status and cortisol.
Recommended Citation
Addae, Kenneth, "ASSOCIATION BETWEEN VITAMIN D STATUS AND CORTISOL CONCENTRATION AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN" (2025). Open Access Master's Theses. Paper 2628.
https://digitalcommons.uri.edu/theses/2628