Abstract
This study examines changes in salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase among grandparents rearing grandchildren in rural Appalachia. Grandparent-caregivers experience greater stress than non- grandparent-caregivers. Participants included 20 grandparent-caregivers and a child for which they cared, who completed questionnaires assessing family functioning and mental health via interview. Grandparent-caregivers provided morning saliva samples once a year for two years. For grandparent-caregivers low in social support and religiosity, grandparent-caregiver depressive symptoms, child depressive symptoms, and child stress were associated with increased grandparent-caregiver salivary alpha-amylase. For grandparent-caregivers high in social support and religiosity, child depressive symptoms, child stress, and child aggression were associated with increased grandparent-caregiver cortisol.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 19-39 |
| Number of pages | 21 |
| Journal | Journal of Intergenerational Relationships |
| Volume | 21 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2023 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2021 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.
Funding
This study was supported by a grant awarded to the fourth author from the Retirement Research Foundation, an Igniting Research Collaborations grant awarded to the second and fourth authors by the University of Kentucky, and a grant awarded to the second author from the University of Kentucky Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS). The CCTS is funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health (NIH), through grant number UL1TR001998. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the Retirement Research Foundation, the University of Kentucky, or the NIH; National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences [UL1TR001998]. This project was supported by The Retirement Research Foundation (#2014-211: Schoenberg); Igniting Research Collaborations (Keller & Schoenberg); and the University of Kentucky Center for Clinical Translational Sciences (Keller). We express appreciate to the following individuals for their considerable efforts on behalf of this project: Aaron Guest, Rachel Swanson, and Lily Weddle. Special appreciation goes to Project Manager Glenn Kincaid (Lee County) and Barbara Bowling (Owsley County). This project was supported by The Retirement Research Foundation (#2014-211: Schoenberg); Igniting Research Collaborations (Keller & Schoenberg); and the University of Kentucky Center for Clinical Translational Sciences (Keller). We express appreciate to the following individuals for their considerable efforts on behalf of this project: Aaron Guest, Rachel Swanson, and Lily Weddle. Special appreciation goes to Project Manager Glenn Kincaid (Lee County) and Barbara Bowling (Owsley County).
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Barbara Bowling | |
| National Institutes of Health (NIH) | 2014-211, UL1TR001998 |
| Retirement Research Foundation | |
| National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) | |
| University of Kentucky | |
| Center for Clinical and Translational Science, University of Illinois at Chicago | |
| University of Kentucky, Center for Clinical and Translational Science |
Keywords
- Salivary cortisol
- grandparent-caregiver
- salivary alpha-amylase
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Psychology
- Archaeology
- Sociology and Political Science
- Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
- Geriatrics and Gerontology
- Life-span and Life-course Studies
