Lifetime Stressor Severity and Diurnal Cortisol in Older African American Adults: A Comparison of Three Theoretical Models

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Auteurs principaux: Katherine Knauft, Kristin M. Davis, Yanping Jiang, Grant S. Shields, Nataria Joseph, George M. Slavich, Samuele Zilioli
Format: Artículo Open Access
Publié: Wiley 2025
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author Katherine Knauft
Kristin M. Davis
Yanping Jiang
Grant S. Shields
Nataria Joseph
George M. Slavich
Samuele Zilioli
author_facet Katherine Knauft
Kristin M. Davis
Yanping Jiang
Grant S. Shields
Nataria Joseph
George M. Slavich
Samuele Zilioli
Katherine Knauft
Kristin M. Davis
Yanping Jiang
Grant S. Shields
Nataria Joseph
George M. Slavich
Samuele Zilioli
collection Wiley Open Access
contents Lifetime Stressor Severity and Diurnal Cortisol in Older African American Adults: A Comparison of Three Theoretical Models Katherine Knauft Kristin M. Davis Yanping Jiang Grant S. Shields Nataria Joseph George M. Slavich Samuele Zilioli Developmental Psychobiology ABSTRACTMultiple theoretical models have been proposed to explain how stressor exposure across the life course relates to the functioning of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis, as indexed by daily cortisol secretion. However, this association remains understudied in African Americans. The present study tested three competing models of stressor severity across the lifespan and diurnal cortisol secretion in a sample of 203 older African American adults. The cumulative model emphasizes total stressor severity across the lifespan, the biological embedding model emphasizes early‐life stressor severity, and the sensitization model instead emphasizes the interaction between early‐life and recent stressor severity. Lifetime stressor severity was assessed using the Stress and Adversity Inventory for Adults (Adult STRAIN). Analyses did not support any of the three models tested but, rather, a stressor characteristics perspective, wherein the severity of exposure to specific stressor characteristics was associated with blunted diurnal cortisol slopes. Sensitivity analyses revealed that early life stressor count, rather than severity, was associated with blunted diurnal cortisol slopes. Rather than supporting one of the three competing models of stressor severity, our findings provide preliminary evidence for a stressor characteristics approach and the biological embedding model when examining how lifetime stressor exposure affects HPA‐axis activity. 10.1002/dev.70034 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
doi_str_mv 10.1002/dev.70034
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license_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
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publisher Wiley
record_format wiley_oa
spellingShingle Lifetime Stressor Severity and Diurnal Cortisol in Older African American Adults: A Comparison of Three Theoretical Models
Katherine Knauft
Kristin M. Davis
Yanping Jiang
Grant S. Shields
Nataria Joseph
George M. Slavich
Samuele Zilioli
Developmental Psychobiology
Lifetime Stressor Severity and Diurnal Cortisol in Older African American Adults: A Comparison of Three Theoretical Models Katherine Knauft Kristin M. Davis Yanping Jiang Grant S. Shields Nataria Joseph George M. Slavich Samuele Zilioli Developmental Psychobiology ABSTRACTMultiple theoretical models have been proposed to explain how stressor exposure across the life course relates to the functioning of the hypothalamic‐pituitary‐adrenal (HPA) axis, as indexed by daily cortisol secretion. However, this association remains understudied in African Americans. The present study tested three competing models of stressor severity across the lifespan and diurnal cortisol secretion in a sample of 203 older African American adults. The cumulative model emphasizes total stressor severity across the lifespan, the biological embedding model emphasizes early‐life stressor severity, and the sensitization model instead emphasizes the interaction between early‐life and recent stressor severity. Lifetime stressor severity was assessed using the Stress and Adversity Inventory for Adults (Adult STRAIN). Analyses did not support any of the three models tested but, rather, a stressor characteristics perspective, wherein the severity of exposure to specific stressor characteristics was associated with blunted diurnal cortisol slopes. Sensitivity analyses revealed that early life stressor count, rather than severity, was associated with blunted diurnal cortisol slopes. Rather than supporting one of the three competing models of stressor severity, our findings provide preliminary evidence for a stressor characteristics approach and the biological embedding model when examining how lifetime stressor exposure affects HPA‐axis activity. 10.1002/dev.70034 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title Lifetime Stressor Severity and Diurnal Cortisol in Older African American Adults: A Comparison of Three Theoretical Models
topic Developmental Psychobiology
url https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/dev.70034