Extracurricular Activity Involvement in Adolescence is Associated With Less Robust Antibody Response to Influenza Vaccination

• In Event: Poster Session 04
  In Poster Session: PS 04 Topic - Education, Schooling

Abstract

Involvement in extracurricular activities (ECAs; e.g., sports, clubs, band/orchestra, etc.) has often been linked to several metrics of well-being in adolescence, such as perceived health, psychosocial adjustment, and academic performance (Darling, 2004; Feldman & Matjasko, 2005; Oberle et al., 2019). However, less is known about the associations among ECA involvement in adolescence and clinically-relevant indicators of physical health. The current study seeks to explore whether antibody production following influenza vaccination differs for adolescents as a function of ECA involvement. We hypothesized that, relative to adolescents who are not involved in ECAs, adolescents who disclose ECA participation would have greater antibody production following vaccination, indicative of better adaptive immune system functioning.

We recruited a community sample of healthy adolescents via flyers and email listserv advertisements throughout the 2018-2019 influenza season. Adolescent participants and their legal guardian completed two study visits at a university-affiliated clinic. At the first visit, adolescents provided a blood sample, received the seasonal quadrivalent inactivated influenza vaccine, and participated in an audio-recorded semi-structured clinical interview (the Life Stress Interview [LSI]; Hammen, 1991). At the second visit (which occurred approximately one month later), adolescents provided another blood sample and received $100 for their participation. Adolescents’ blood samples were tested for the ability to mediate hemagglutination inhibition (HAI) against the current vaccine strains for H1N1, H3N2, and two B strains. We used correction methods described by Beyer et al. (2004) to correct for differences in baseline antibody levels. Greater values signify more robust antibody production following vaccination. ECA involvement was coded by a team of research assistants from adolescents’ interviews. Although the interviewer did not ask specifically about adolescents’ ECA participation, teens often spontaneously disclosed information about their activities.

Participant demographics are presented in Table 1. There were no significant differences in age, sex, BMI, or race as a function of ECA involvement. One-way ANOVAs were preformed to determine between-group differences in corrected post-vaccination antibody titer levels for each of the four strains included in the vaccine (Table 2). For the H1N1, B/Yamagata, and B/Victoria strains, compared to adolescents who reported ECA involvement, adolescents who did not report ECA involvement had greater antibody production. For the H3N2 strain, the between-group difference was not significant.

Although studies often report benefits associated with ECA involvement (e.g., better mental health, higher academic achievement), results from the current study were contrary to our hypothesis and suggested that adolescents who reported ECA involvement have a less robust response to three of the four strains included in the 2018-2019 influenza vaccine. It may be that ECA involvement is associated with insufficient time management or social pressures to exceed (e.g., high parental expectations; Luthar et al., 2006), causing strain or fatigue that, in turn, weakens the body’s response to vaccination. Notably, however, the majority of adolescents in our sample had adequate antibody levels following vaccination (87.8-98.6%, depending on the strain), suggesting that they were sufficiently protected from influenza. Identification of potential mechanisms linking ECA involvement and adaptive immunity will be discussed.

Authors

• Isabel Wasilewski, University of Georgia
  Presenting Author

• Kelsey Corallo, University of Georgia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sarah Lyle, University of Georgia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Aishat Sadiq, University of Georgia
  Non-Presenting Author

• Katherine Ehrlich, University of Georgia
  Non-Presenting Author