Cumulative Family Stress and Diurnal Cortisol Responses in Midwest Latino Families

Abstract

Latino youth and their families have been shown to experience higher levels of stressors than the general population, as well as additional unique stressors such as racism, poverty, acculturation, and discrimination. Chronic or cumulative stress often disrupts physiological systems and can lead to dysregulation in diurnal cortisol responses. This study examined the associations between family stress and cortisol responses in 57 Latino mother-adolescent dyads (N = 114) living in the Midwestern United States. Dyads collected saliva 6 times across two consecutive days and completed a survey. Results from repeated measures mixed-effect analysis found that both mothers and adolescents in the high-stress group had flatter cortisol awakening responses than those in the low-stress group, which indicated disruptions in their diurnal cortisol rhythms. These findings suggest that family stress can potentially influence the diurnal cortisol patterns of early Latino adolescents as well as adults, which may, in turn, lead to future health problems.

Cultural neurobiology and the family: Evidence from the daily lives of Latino adolescents

“…While much research has identified links between culturally relevant stressors, ranging from acculturative stress to perceived discrimination, and HPA axis activity in adolescence and young adulthood (e.g., Adam et al, 2015; Chiang et al, 2016; Kwak et al, 2017), few scholars have taken a cultural approach to understanding how family assistance behaviors may be associated with physiological stress activity from day to day, as well as more generally across days. Such examinations are key to understanding developmental adaptation and the chronicity of culture–biology interactions and interplay.…”

Associations Between Effortful Control, Cortisol Awakening Response, and Depressive Problems in Latino Preadolescents

“…It is also possible that for youth populations with higher levels of stressors a higher CAR is protective, although this hypothesis should be explored more stringently in future studies. Given that prior studies with Latino youth have found that higher levels of stressors are associated with blunted cortisol responses such as flatter diurnal slopes (i.e., DeSantis et al, 2007; Hajat et al, 2010; Kwak et al, 2017; Zeiders et al, 2012), higher CAR levels may reflect resilience to contextual stressors for at-risk youth (such as in our sample).…”

“…Researchers have demonstrated that Latino youth exhibit markers of cortisol dysregulation such as flatter diurnal slopes (Cauce et al, 2011; DeSantis et al, 2007; Hajat et al, 2010; Kwak et al, 2017; Martin, Bruce, & Fisher, 2012; Zeiders, Doane, & Roosa, 2012) and lower reactivity (Hostinar, McQuillan, Mirous, Grant, & Adam, 2014), patterns potentially indicative of chronic stress experiences (Miller, Chen, & Zhou, 2007). As a consequence of allostatic load, or the wear and tear on the body and brain that are associated with carrying chronic stressors (Juster, McEwen, & Lupien, 2010), cortisol dysregulation may contribute to the documented health disparities that are evident in Latino youth populations, including depressive problems (Berger & Sarnyai, 2015; Susman, 2007).…”

Salivary uric acid and C‐reactive protein associations with hypertension in Midwestern Latino preadolescents and their parents

“…Hypertension status in children was significantly related to both mothers’ and fathers’ hypertension status, which supported hypothesis 3. This association on the family level could be explained through the shared environment, which suggests that contextual stressors affect the whole family system, or that stress can be “caught” (Kwak et al, : Waters, West, & Mendes, ). Although the statistical analysis was not significant between the prevalence of mother's and father's hypertension, the correlation was in the positive direction.…”

“…However, as the population increases, health disparities are becoming more prevalent. Latino families may face increased risk for exposure to various acute and chronic psychosocial stressors such as lower socioeconomic status, higher uninsured rates, acculturation and language barriers, and lower median earnings (Kwak et al, ; Rodriguez et al, ; Vaeth & Willett, ). These stressors can put Latino families under risk for other health issues, including cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) such as hypertension (Rodriguez et al, ; Vaeth & Willett, ), which then relates to renal diseases, other morbidities, and mortality risk (Daviglus et al, ; Kountz, ; Soto‐Greene, Salas‐Lopez, Sanchez, & Like, ).…”