Work/non-workday differences in mother, child, and mother-child morning cortisol in a sample of working mothers and their children

Authors

Leah C. Hibel, Purdue University
Jill M. Trumbell, University of New Hampshire - Main CampusFollow
Evelyn Mercado, Purdue University

Abstract

Background

Mothers have been shown to have higher morning cortisol on days they go to work compared to non-workdays; however, it is unknown how maternal workday associates with child morning cortisol or the attunement of mother–child morning cortisol.

Aims

This study examined the presence and stability of morning cortisol levels and slopes (i.e., cortisol awakening response or CAR) in a sample of 2–4 year old children in out-of-home child care with working mothers. In addition, we examined the differential contributions of maternal workday on mother–child attunement in morning cortisol.

Method

Mother and child morning cortisol was sampled twice a day (awakening and 30 min later) across four consecutive days (2 non-workdays; 2 workdays) among 47 working mothers and their young children. Mothers also reported on compliance with sampling procedures and provided demographic information.

Results

While children exhibited stability in cortisol levels, children's CARs were variable, with children's non-work CARs not predictive of work CARs. Similarly, a significant morning rise in cortisol was only found on workdays, not non-workdays. Overall, mothers had higher cortisol levels and steeper CARs than their children. Further, maternal workday moderated the attunement of mother–child morning cortisol, such that mothers and children had concordant cortisol levels on non-workdays, but discordant cortisol levels on workdays.

Conclusions

Morning cortisol may be more variable in pre-school aged children than adults but may be similarly responsive to the social environment. Further, workday mornings may be a time of reduced mother–child cortisol attunement.

Department

Family Studies

Publication Date

1-2014

Journal Title

Early Human Development

Publisher

Elsevier

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2013.11.007

Document Type

Article

Recommended Citation

Leah C. Hibel, Jill M. Trumbell, Evelyn Mercado, Work/non-workday differences in mother, child, and mother–child morning cortisol in a sample of working mothers and their children, Early Human Development, Volume 90, Issue 1, January 2014, Pages 1-7, ISSN 0378-3782, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.earlhumdev.2013.11.007.

Rights

Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.