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Family conflict, chaos, and negative life events predict cortisol activity in low‐income children
Author(s) -
Doom Jenalee R.,
Cook Stephanie H.,
Sturza Julie,
Kaciroti Niko,
Gearhardt Ashley N.,
Vazquez Delia M.,
Lumeng Julie C.,
Miller Alison L.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
developmental psychobiology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 93
eISSN - 1098-2302
pISSN - 0012-1630
DOI - 10.1002/dev.21602
Subject(s) - trier social stress test , stressor , psychology , psychosocial , poverty , developmental psychology , hydrocortisone , early childhood , reactivity (psychology) , maternal deprivation , family conflict , fragile families and child wellbeing study , clinical psychology , endocrinology , medicine , psychiatry , fight or flight response , biochemistry , chemistry , alternative medicine , pathology , economics , gene , economic growth
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.