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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Endocrinol.
Sec. Developmental Endocrinology
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1480963
This article is part of the Research Topic Exploring Anthropometric Markers in Hormonal Exposure and Endocrine Disease Pathophysiology View all 4 articles

Investigating the Relationship Between Prenatal Androgen Exposure and Sleep Quality: A Comprehensive Study Using Anthropometric Measurements, Questionnaires, Actigraphy, and Polysomnography

Provisionally accepted
Adrian Bartoszek Adrian Bartoszek 1Magdalena Sawic Magdalena Sawic 2Karol Pierzchała Karol Pierzchała 3Aleksandra Kudrycka Aleksandra Kudrycka 3Piotr Białasiewicz Piotr Białasiewicz 3Wojciech Kuczyński Wojciech Kuczyński 3*
  • 1 Medical University of Lublin, Department of Bioanalytics, Lublin, Poland
  • 2 Independent Unit of Spectroscopy and Chemical Imaging, Medical University of Lublin, Poland, Lublin, Poland
  • 3 Department of Sleep Medicine and Metabolic Disorders, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Łódź, Poland

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The 2D:4D digit ratio (DR), representing the relative length of the index finger to the ring finger, is an anthropometric marker that shows sexual dimorphism, with males typically having a lower ratio than females. This parameter is linked to prenatal androgen exposure (PAE), which influences sexual differentiation of the brain and behavior. This study aimed to investigate the correlation between PAE and sleep among young adults.Methods: Anthropometric measurements were used to assess PAE, while sleep was evaluated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), actigraphy, and polysomnography (PSG). Data was collected from 720 participants via surveys, with 290 completing all questionnaires. Of these, 138 underwent anthropometric measurements, and 38 were further recruited for actigraphy, PSG.Results: Men exhibited a lower 2D:4D ratio than women, indicating higher PAE. The average PSQI score was 6.94 ± 2.98, and the MEQ score was 35.43 ± 19.59, with no significant gender differences in sleep quality or chronotype. Low PAE was associated with better sleep efficiency and a morning chronotype, but worse sleep quality in males. Actigraphy results showed no significant differences based on PAE. PSG data revealed that males with longer 2nd fingers and higher 2D:4D ratios were more likely to suffer from mild sleep apnea, a pattern not observed in women. PAE did not significantly impact other sleep architecture parameters.Conclusions: PAE, indicated by the 2D:4D ratio, is linked to sleep efficiency and chronotype, with significant gender differences. Men with lower PAE exhibited poorer sleep quality, and those with certain finger length patterns were more prone to mild sleep apnea. These findings underscore the potential long-term impacts of PAE on sleep health and emphasize the need for further research into gender-specific sleep regulation mechanisms.

    Keywords: digit ratio, Sleep, sleep quality, Polysomnography, 2D:4D, PAE

    Received: 14 Aug 2024; Accepted: 20 Dec 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Bartoszek, Sawic, Pierzchała, Kudrycka, Białasiewicz and Kuczyński. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Wojciech Kuczyński, Department of Sleep Medicine and Metabolic Disorders, Medical University of Lodz, Lodz, Łódź, Poland

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