Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Relationship of Estradiol and Progesterone with Partnership and Parity Among Bangladeshi and British Women of European Origin

Bentley, Gillian R.; Núñez-de la Mora, Alexandra; Freed, Michele C.; Begum, Khurshida; Muttukrishna, Shanthi; Sharmeen, Taniya; Murphy, Lorna; Chatterton, Robert T.; Chowdhury, Osul; Gunu, Richard; Leidy Sievert, Lynnette

Relationship of Estradiol and Progesterone with Partnership and Parity Among Bangladeshi and British Women of European Origin Thumbnail


Authors

Alexandra Núñez-de la Mora

Profile image of Michele Freed

Michele Freed michele.c.freed@durham.ac.uk
PGR Student Doctor of Philosophy

Khurshida Begum

Shanthi Muttukrishna

Taniya Sharmeen

Lorna Murphy

Robert T. Chatterton

Osul Chowdhury

Richard Gunu

Lynnette Leidy Sievert



Abstract

Recent studies in social endocrinology have explored the effects of social relationships on female reproductive steroid hormones—estradiol and progesterone—investigating whether they are suppressed in partnered and parous women. Results have been mixed for these hormones although evidence is more consistent that partnered women and women with young children have lower levels of testosterone. These studies were sequential to earlier research on men, based on Wingfield’s Challenge Hypothesis, which showed that men in committed relationships, or with young children, have lower levels of testosterone than unpartnered men or men with older or no children. The study described here explored associations between estradiol and progesterone with partnership and parity among women from two different ethnicities: South Asian and white British. We hypothesized that both steroid hormones would be lower among partnered and/or parous women with children ≤3 years old, regardless of ethnicity. In this study we analyzed data from 320 Bangladeshi and British women of European origin aged 18 to 50 who participated in two previous studies of reproductive ecology and health. Levels of estradiol and progesterone were assayed using saliva and/or serum samples and the body mass index calculated from anthropometric data. Questionnaires provided other covariates. Multiple linear regressions were used to analyze the data. The hypotheses were not supported. We argue here that, unlike links between testosterone and male social relationships, theoretical foundations for such relationships with female reproductive steroid hormones are lacking, especially given the primary role of these steroids in regulating female reproductive function. Further longitudinal studies are needed to explore the bases of independent relationships between social factors and female reproductive steroid hormones.

Citation

Bentley, G. R., Núñez-de la Mora, A., Freed, M. C., Begum, K., Muttukrishna, S., Sharmeen, T., Murphy, L., Chatterton, R. T., Chowdhury, O., Gunu, R., & Leidy Sievert, L. (2023). Relationship of Estradiol and Progesterone with Partnership and Parity Among Bangladeshi and British Women of European Origin. Human Nature, 34(1), 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-023-09442-6

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Feb 3, 2023
Online Publication Date Mar 8, 2023
Publication Date 2023-03
Deposit Date Nov 22, 2022
Publicly Available Date Mar 9, 2024
Journal Human Nature
Print ISSN 1045-6767
Electronic ISSN 1936-4776
Publisher Springer
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 34
Issue 1
Pages 1-24
DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-023-09442-6
Public URL https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1186135

Files

Accepted Journal Article (759 Kb)
PDF

Copyright Statement
This version of the article has been accepted for publication, after peer review (when applicable) and is subject to Springer Nature’s AM terms of use, but is not the Version of Record and does not reflect post-acceptance improvements, or any corrections. The Version of Record is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12110-023-09442-6






You might also like



Downloadable Citations