Journal
DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY
Volume 60, Issue 4, Pages 364-379Publisher
WILEY
DOI: 10.1002/dev.21602
Keywords
chaos; childhood; cortisol; family conflict; negative life events; poverty
Categories
Funding
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases [R01DK095695, R21DK090718, RC1DK086376]
- American Heart Association [10GRNT4460043]
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development [F32HD088029]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Childhood poverty is hypothesized to increase risk for mental and physical health problems at least in part through dysregulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. However, less is known about the specific psychosocial stressors associated with cortisol reactivity and regulation for children living in poverty. The current study investigates negative life events, household chaos, and family conflict in preschool and middle childhood as potential predictors of cortisol regulation in low-income 7-10 year olds (N=242; M age=7.9 years). Participants were assessed in preschool and participated in a follow-up assessment in middle childhood, during which diurnal free cortisol and free cortisol reactivity to the Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C) were assessed. Household chaos during preschool predicted a more blunted diurnal cortisol slope in middle childhood. Greater negative life events during preschool and greater concurrent family conflict were associated with increased free cortisol reactivity in middle childhood.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available