Men of Color Health Awareness intervention: changes in adrenocortical activity assessed using fingernail cortisol

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Psychoneuroimmunology
• Health Disparities Research

Background:

• Chronic stress significantly impacts the health of middle-aged African-American men.
• Measuring cortisol in fingernails offers a novel method for assessing long-term stress hormone exposure.
• Previous research indicates stress responses can be complex and may not always correlate with subjective feelings of stress.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the efficacy of the Men of Color Health Awareness (MOCHA) intervention on chronic cortisol output in middle-aged African-American men.
• To investigate the relationship between fingernail cortisol levels and self-reported psychosocial measures.
• To assess changes in cortisol accumulation over a 3-month period before, during, and after a stress reduction intervention.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial (NCT03745703) involving middle-aged African-American men.
• Collection of fingernail samples at three time points (pre-intervention, post-intervention, and follow-up) to measure accumulated cortisol.
• Administration of self-report questionnaires for perceived stress, depression, and anxiety at four time points.

Main Results:

• Fingernail cortisol concentrations were unexpectedly higher at the end of the intervention (T2) and follow-up (T3) compared to pre-intervention (T1), with statistical significance at T2.
• No significant association was found between fingernail cortisol levels and self-reported measures of stress, depression, or anxiety across all time points.
• Cortisol levels in fingernails provided an index of approximately 3-month cortisol deposition.

Conclusions:

• The MOCHA intervention may have transiently ameliorated a potential suppression of adrenal cortisol release caused by long-term stressors.
• The dissociation between fingernail cortisol levels and subjective stress reports highlights the complexity of stress physiology.
• Further research is needed to understand the long-term physiological impact of stress and the effectiveness of interventions like MOCHA in diverse populations.