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Internalizing disposition and preschool children's cortisol fluctuations

I Li1, P-S Shen

  • 1Department of Child Care and Education, Hungkuang University, Taichung, Taiwan. ishien@sunrise.hk.edu.tw

Child: Care, Health and Development
|June 14, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Childhood cortisol rhythms vary in childcare settings. Individual differences, like internalizing behaviors, influence stress responses, suggesting personalized approaches are needed for young children in care.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Endocrinology
  • Developmental Science

Background:

  • Cortisol levels in young children typically decrease from mid-morning to mid-afternoon at home.
  • Previous research indicated cortisol may increase or remain flat during childcare.
  • Further investigation is needed on cortisol rhythms and individual variations in childcare settings.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine internalizing disposition as a moderator of cortisol-linked stress responses in preschoolers.
  • To investigate individual variations in cortisol patterns among children in full-time childcare.

Main Methods:

  • Salivary cortisol was collected from 37 preschoolers over 10 school days.
  • Cortisol samples were taken at four time points daily.
  • Children were grouped based on teacher-rated 'approach' scores to analyze internalizing disposition effects.

Main Results:

  • A linear increase in cortisol from mid-morning to mid-afternoon was observed in all children.
  • Significant quadratic and cubic trends indicated group differences in cortisol fluctuation patterns.
  • Least internalizing children showed cortisol decreases, while other groups exhibited an upward cortisol curve throughout the day.

Conclusions:

  • Comparing only mid-morning and mid-afternoon cortisol may not capture individual stress response variations in childcare.
  • Child characteristics, such as internalizing disposition, significantly moderate cortisol patterns.
  • Future childcare research should consider individual differences in stress response analysis.
Abstract

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