[R01] Do Hair Cortisol and Hair Oxytocin represent the Stressful and Supportive Experiences of Preschool Children?
Ente: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Scadenza: 2029-04-30
Importo max: 963.797 EUR
Paese: US
Descrizione
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), parenting, and social determinants of health (SDH) contribute to early
life adversity (ELA), which can disrupt development in the brain, cardiovascular, metabolic, and immune systems
to increase the risks for chronic non-communicable diseases, substance abuse, or other detrimental outcomes.
In contrast, positive childhood experiences (PCEs) can build resilience, and improve physical and mental health
outcomes. We have validated the assays for hair cortisol concentrations (HCC) to assess chronic stress
and hair oxytocin concentrations (HOC) to assess social bonding in over 1200 children. We found significant
differences in HCC/HOC by age, sex, race/ethnicity, parent income, the child’s health and ACEs exposures. We
also measured hair growth rates and hair composition, and found no effects of hair composition on HCC/HOC.
The social psychology of childhood flows from parenting and family factors, with ACEs and PCEs reflecting the
negative vs. positive experiences in the child’s social ecology. We propose an identity disruption model to study
how early social psychology and health are altered by their social ecology, using hair biomarkers to define the
role of HPA-axis (dys)regulation in mediating these outcomes. We will derive a measure of toxic stress (TS) from
ACEs, PCEs, and family factors in a prospective longitudinal study, evaluating 450 children at 6-month intervals
to see how TS affects HCC/HOC trajectories and to develop HCC criteria for HPA-axis dysregulation.
AIM 1 examines how ACEs exposures in preschool children are related to a chronic stress biomarker (HCC).
AIM 2 examines how the PCEs are related to a social bonding biomarker (HOC), and if the PCEs can protect
children from developing HPA-axis dysregulation. The degree and timing of child exposures to toxic stress will
be related to the adaptive, hyperresponsive, maladaptive, and exhaustive phases of HPA-axis (dys)regulation.
We will examine how the ACEs, PCEs, and family factors are associated with HPA-axis profiles by classifying
children into 4 groups of atypically low (0-25th), normative (25th-75th), reactive (75th-90th), or atypically high (90th-
100th) HCC percentiles. Latent class mixed models will reveal their HCC trajectories, and secondary analyses
will examine the moderating effects of parent resilience, self-esteem, mental health symptoms, and parenting
stress on HCC trajectories. This project will also establish the first-ever scalable methodology for public health
studies of HPA-axis function in children and adults, to identify those at risk for long-term effects of toxic stress
on their physical, mental, social, and relational health; thus becoming eligible for intervention trials or programs.
We have an experienced multidisciplinary team, the pilot data, and the strong community partnerships to
successfully complete the proposed project, which addresses fundamental gaps in our current knowledge,
and establishes a scientific framew
Istituzione: STANFORD UNIVERSITY
PI: KANWALJEET S ANAND
Progetto: 5R01HD099296-07
Settori: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
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