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Published on: December 18, 2013
Adherence to Diurnal Cortisol Sampling Among Mother-Child Dyads From Maltreating and Nonmaltreating Families
Kristin Valentino1, Ashley De Alba2, Leah C Hibel2
11 Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame, IN, USA.
Insights
Maltreating families showed initial challenges with home saliva collection for diurnal cortisol, but support and retesting improved adherence to levels comparable to non-maltreating families.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Endocrinology
- Public Health
Background:
- Child maltreatment is linked to physiological dysregulation.
- Diurnal cortisol is a key indicator of stress and physiological regulation.
- Accurate measurement of diurnal cortisol requires reliable home-based saliva collection.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess adherence to home-based diurnal cortisol saliva collection protocols in maltreating families.
- To compare adherence rates between maltreating and non-maltreating mother-child dyads.
- To identify best practices for collecting diurnal cortisol samples in vulnerable populations.
Main Methods:
- 166 maltreating and non-maltreating mother-child dyads participated.
- Saliva samples were collected 3 times daily for 2 days using electronic monitoring (MEMS caps).
- Adherence was monitored using electronic data and compared between groups.
Main Results:
- Maltreating families were initially more likely to be nonadherent.
- With additional support and resampling, adherence became comparable between maltreating and non-maltreating groups.
- Electronic monitoring devices aided in tracking adherence.
Conclusions:
- Home-based diurnal cortisol collection is feasible in maltreating families with appropriate support.
- Electronic monitoring enhances adherence and data accuracy.
- Best practices should incorporate support and resampling for improved data collection in research involving child maltreatment.
Abstract:
There has been increasing interest in evaluating whether interventions for child maltreatment can improve and/or prevent child physiological dysregulation via measurement of diurnal cortisol. The assessment of diurnal cortisol typically involves the home-based collection of saliva multiple times per day, bringing forth important methodological considerations regarding adherence to collection instructions. To date, there has been no data regarding adherence to home collection of diurnal cortisol among maltreating families. The current study provides data on adherence to in-home sampling of salivary cortisol among 166 maltreating and demographically similar nonmaltreating mother-child dyads using electronic monitoring devices (Medication Event Monitoring System caps). Mothers collected saliva samples on themselves and their children 3 times per day (waking, midday, and evening) for 2 consecutive days. Analyses reveal that although maltreating families were more likely to be nonadherent to the collection protocol on their initial attempt, with additional support and resampling, maltreating and nonmaltreating families were comparable on most measures of adherence. Suggestions for best practices, including the use of electronic monitoring devices, for diurnal cortisol collection with maltreating families are provided.
