TY - JOUR

T1 - The role of combined modifiable lifestyle behaviors in the association between exposure to stressors and allostatic load

T2 - A systematic review of observational studies.

AU - Siew, Raymond Vooi Khong

AU - Nabe-Nielsen, Kirsten

AU - Turner, Anne I.

AU - Bujtor, Melissa

AU - Torres, Susan J.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Elsevier Ltd

PY - 2022

Y1 - 2022

N2 - Background: Exposure to stressors can evoke psychological, physiological, and behavioral stress responses, which may lead to the adoption of health-damaging behaviors that dysregulate multiple biological systems contributing to a high allostatic load. This review explored the role of combined modifiable lifestyle behaviors in the relationship between stressors and allostatic load among healthy adults. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in Medline Complete, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Embase databases up to September 2021. The PRISMA guidelines guided reporting and study quality was assessed using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Checklist. Results: Database searches identified 319 papers. Eight cross-sectional and two longitudinal studies met our inclusion criteria. Among the ten studies, combined modifiable lifestyle behaviors partly explained the association between exposure to stressors and elevated allostatic load in four cross-sectional and two longitudinal studies. Conclusion: Some evidence suggests that combined modifiable lifestyle behaviors may help explain the relationship between stressors and an elevated allostatic load. Further longitudinal studies with mediation analyses would strengthen these findings and help to confirm the mechanistic role of combined modifiable lifestyle behaviors underlying the relationship between stress exposure and allostatic load.

AB - Background: Exposure to stressors can evoke psychological, physiological, and behavioral stress responses, which may lead to the adoption of health-damaging behaviors that dysregulate multiple biological systems contributing to a high allostatic load. This review explored the role of combined modifiable lifestyle behaviors in the relationship between stressors and allostatic load among healthy adults. Methods: A systematic search was conducted in Medline Complete, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Embase databases up to September 2021. The PRISMA guidelines guided reporting and study quality was assessed using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) Checklist. Results: Database searches identified 319 papers. Eight cross-sectional and two longitudinal studies met our inclusion criteria. Among the ten studies, combined modifiable lifestyle behaviors partly explained the association between exposure to stressors and elevated allostatic load in four cross-sectional and two longitudinal studies. Conclusion: Some evidence suggests that combined modifiable lifestyle behaviors may help explain the relationship between stressors and an elevated allostatic load. Further longitudinal studies with mediation analyses would strengthen these findings and help to confirm the mechanistic role of combined modifiable lifestyle behaviors underlying the relationship between stress exposure and allostatic load.

KW - Alcohol

KW - Allostatic load

KW - Diet

KW - Physical activity

KW - Smoking

KW - Stress

U2 - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105668

DO - 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2022.105668

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 35066347

AN - SCOPUS:85122979940

VL - 138

JO - Psychoneuroendocrinology

JF - Psychoneuroendocrinology

SN - 0306-4530

M1 - 105668

ER -