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Epidemiological approaches to measure childhood stress

Barbara Vanaelst1, Tineke De Vriendt, Inge Huybrechts

  • 1Department of Public Health, Ghent University, University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, Ghent, Belgium. barbara.vanaelst@ugent.be

Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology
|April 5, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Childhood stress is prevalent, with parental separation and bullying as key stressors. This review guides researchers on assessing stress in elementary school children using questionnaires, interviews, and cortisol measurements.

Area of Science:

  • Child Psychology
  • Epidemiology
  • Biomarkers

Background:

  • Childhood stress is a significant public health concern, with high prevalence reported.
  • Children are particularly vulnerable to the adverse health effects of chronic stress.
  • Existing literature lacks a comprehensive overview of stress assessment methods for elementary school children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and compare methods for assessing stress in children aged 6-12.
  • To provide guidance for epidemiological research on childhood stress.
  • To evaluate the utility of hair cortisol as a chronic stress biomarker.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of questionnaires and interviews for stress assessment.
  • Analysis of laboratory-based cortisol measurements in biological samples (serum, urine, saliva, hair).
  • Evaluation of method characteristics, strengths, and limitations for epidemiological research.

Main Results:

  • Identified questionnaires, interviews, and cortisol measurements as key assessment tools.
  • Discussed the strengths and limitations of each method in the context of childhood stress research.
  • Highlighted hair cortisol as a promising biomarker for assessing chronic stress in children.

Conclusions:

  • Accurate stress assessment in children is crucial for understanding and mitigating negative health outcomes.
  • A combination of methods, including questionnaires, interviews, and biomarkers like hair cortisol, is recommended for comprehensive assessment.
  • This review provides a foundational guide for researchers entering the field of childhood stress assessment.

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