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Cortisol function among early school-aged homeless children

J J Cutuli1, Kristen L Wiik, Janette E Herbers

  • 1Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, 51 East River Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States. Cutu0001@umn.edu

Psychoneuroendocrinology
|December 22, 2009
PubMed

Insights

Negative life events, not socioeconomic status, impacted children's cortisol levels in homeless families. This highlights the stress associated with adverse experiences for child development in poverty.

Area of Science:

  • Child Development
  • Psychology
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Homelessness presents severe poverty and risks for child development.
  • Understanding distinct risk factors is crucial for intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the influence of socioeconomic risk and negative life events on children's cortisol.
  • To examine cortisol levels and responses to cognitive tasks in homeless children.

Main Methods:

  • Assessed 66 homeless children (4-7 years) in an emergency shelter.
  • Measured morning cortisol and cortisol response during cognitive tasks.
  • Examined socioeconomic cumulative risk and negative life events.

Main Results:

  • Family-level negative life events predicted higher morning cortisol.
  • Negative life events also influenced cortisol response during cognitive tasks.
  • Socioeconomic risk score did not correlate with cortisol levels or responses.

Conclusions:

  • Negative life events are significant predictors of physiological stress in homeless children.
  • Socioeconomic factors alone may not fully capture the stress burden impacting children in shelters.
  • Targeting adverse experiences is vital for supporting children's well-being in homelessness.

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