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A Modified Trier Social Stress Test for Vulnerable Mexican American Adolescents
Published on: July 10, 2017
Stress in migrant farmworkers during premigration
Evelyn M Clingerman1, Adama Brown
1The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78701, USA. eclingerman@mail.nur.utexas.edu
Purpose:
This study explored the relationship between migrant farmworker (MFW) stress and salivary cortisol (sC) in a sample of MFWs prior to migration.
Sample:
The sample, 40 (N = 14 male, 26 female) adult MFWs residing in the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, primarily comprised middle-aged immigrants with a middle-school education.
Design:
This pilot feasibility study included a self-report farmworker stress inventory and five serial sC specimens in 24 hr.
Results:
The sC measures reflected an expected diurnal pattern. Lower total cortisol (area under the curve with respect to ground) was significantly associated with greater waist circumference (r = -.63, p ≤ .01). Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that participants who perceived high levels of farmworker stress exhibited a significant change in sC over time; F(2.14, 72.65) = 43.90, p < .001. High- and low-perceived-stress groups differed significantly in the trajectory of changes in sC over the five time points.
Conclusion:
MFWs experienced significant levels of stress during premigration. Their sC responses varied significantly by level of perceived farmworker stress. Lower perceived stress may reflect blunting of the sC response pattern.
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