BASS is the study that uses the saliva and urine samples we collected during two visits and looks at
Puberty
In the saliva and urine collected we can assess puberty onset and progression. We’ve seen that the ratio of two hormones (luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH)). We’re looking to see if the this ratio differes between girls and boys and if so how it does across puberty.
Stress
Using the saliva samples we can look at the amount of a stress hormone called cortisol. This is helping understand the potential effects of stress on brain function and any impacts with puberty and mobile phone use.
Tobacco
The urine samples can also be analysed for a chemical called cotinine, which a product formed after the chemical nicotine enters the body. This helps us to understand if a person has been exposed to tobacco smoke. Additionally, in the SCAMP study age-range, assessment of cotinine in urine will also be useful in identifying early smoking behaviour, which participants may not necessarily want to self-report
Obesity
SCAMP collects detailed “anthropometric” measurements to assess obesity, e.g. BMI, waist circumference and body fat percentage. Recent research has also shown that urinary creatinine concentrations may be used to assess BMI in children (Wang et al, 2015). In addition, emerging evidence in the field of metabolomics suggests use of other urinary markers to further our mechanistic understanding of obesity, including through urinary glycoproteins (Elliott et al, 2015), as well as endocrine disrupting phthalates (Teitelbaum et al, 2012). The analysis of SCAMP’s anthropometric measurements together with creatinine (measured alongside cotinine to assess tobacco exposure, see above) could help unravel the importance of diet, environment, and lifestyle and their interactions in relation to childhood obesity.