Developmental histories of perceived racial discrimination and diurnal cortisol profiles in adulthood: A 20-year prospective study

Emma K. Adam; Jennifer A. Heissel; Katharine H. Zeiders; Jennifer A. Richeson; Emily C. Ross; Katherine B. Ehrlich; Dorainne J. Levy; Margaret Kemeny; Amanda B. Brodish; Oksana Malanchuk; Stephen C. Peck; Thomas E. Fuller-Rowell; Jacquelynne S. Eccles

doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.08.018

Developmental histories of perceived racial discrimination and diurnal cortisol profiles in adulthood: A 20-year prospective study

Emma K. Adam^*, Jennifer A. Heissel, Katharine H. Zeiders, Jennifer A. Richeson, Emily C. Ross, Katherine B. Ehrlich, Dorainne J. Levy, Margaret Kemeny, Amanda B. Brodish, Oksana Malanchuk, Stephen C. Peck, Thomas E. Fuller-Rowell, Jacquelynne S. Eccles

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

171 Scopus citations

Abstract

Perceived racial discrimination (PRD) has been associated with altered diurnal cortisol rhythms in past cross-sectional research. We investigate whether developmental histories of PRD, assessed prospectively, are associated with adult diurnal cortisol profiles. One-hundred and twelve (. N=. 50 Black, N=. 62 White) adults from the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Study provided saliva samples in adulthood (at approximately age 32 years) at waking, 30. min after waking, and at bedtime for 7 days. Diurnal cortisol measures were calculated, including waking cortisol levels, diurnal cortisol slopes, the cortisol awakening response (CAR), and average daily cortisol (AUC). These cortisol outcomes were predicted from measures of PRD obtained over a 20-year period beginning when individuals were in 7th grade (approximately age 12).Greater average PRD measured across the 20-year period predicted flatter adult diurnal cortisol slopes for both Black and White adults, and a lower CAR. Greater average PRD also predicted lower waking cortisol for Black, but not White adults. PRD experiences in adolescence accounted for many of these effects. When adolescent and young adult PRD are entered together predicting cortisol outcomes, PRD experiences in adolescence (but not young adulthood) significantly predicted flatter diurnal cortisol slopes for both Black and White adults. Adolescent, but not young adult PRD, also significantly predicted lower waking and lower average cortisol for Black adults. Young adult PRD was, however, a stronger predictor of the CAR, predicting a marginally lower CAR for Whites, and a significantly larger CAR for Blacks. Effects were robust to controlling for covariates including health behaviors, depression, income and parent education levels. PRD experiences interacted with parent education and income to predict aspects of the diurnal cortisol rhythm. Although these results suggest PRD influences on cortisol for both Blacks and Whites, the key findings suggest that the effects are more pervasive for Blacks, affecting multiple aspects of the cortisol diurnal rhythm. In addition, adolescence is a more sensitive developmental period than adulthood for the impacts of PRD on adult stress biology.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	279-291
Number of pages	13
Journal	Psychoneuroendocrinology
Volume	62
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.08.018
State	Published - Dec 2015

Funding

The first three waves of the study were funded by the MacArthur Network on Successful Adolescent Development in High Risk Settings (Chair: R. Jessor). Waves 4, 5 were funded by NICHD Grant #R01HD33437 to JSE and Arnold J. Sameroff. Wave 6 was funded by Spencer Foundation Grant MG #200000275 to Tabbye Chavous and JSE. Waves 7, 8 were funded by NICHD Grant #R01HD048970 to JSE and SCP and the Wave 8 biomarker data were funded by NIA Grant #RC2AG03678001 to JSE, SCP, EKA, JR, MK, and Wendy Berry Mendes. Support was also provided by BCS-0843872 & BCS-0921728 to J.R., faculty fellowships from the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University to E.K.A. and J.R., and F32HD076563-01 to K.E.

Keywords

Adolescence
Cortisol
Diurnal cortisol rhythms
Early experience
Hypocortisolism
Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis
Racial discrimination

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Endocrinology
Endocrine and Autonomic Systems
Psychiatry and Mental health
Biological Psychiatry

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.08.018

Cite this

Adam, E. K., Heissel, J. A., Zeiders, K. H., Richeson, J. A., Ross, E. C., Ehrlich, K. B., Levy, D. J., Kemeny, M., Brodish, A. B., Malanchuk, O., Peck, S. C., Fuller-Rowell, T. E., & Eccles, J. S. (2015). Developmental histories of perceived racial discrimination and diurnal cortisol profiles in adulthood: A 20-year prospective study. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 62, 279-291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.08.018

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title = "Developmental histories of perceived racial discrimination and diurnal cortisol profiles in adulthood: A 20-year prospective study",

abstract = "Perceived racial discrimination (PRD) has been associated with altered diurnal cortisol rhythms in past cross-sectional research. We investigate whether developmental histories of PRD, assessed prospectively, are associated with adult diurnal cortisol profiles. One-hundred and twelve (. N=. 50 Black, N=. 62 White) adults from the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Study provided saliva samples in adulthood (at approximately age 32 years) at waking, 30. min after waking, and at bedtime for 7 days. Diurnal cortisol measures were calculated, including waking cortisol levels, diurnal cortisol slopes, the cortisol awakening response (CAR), and average daily cortisol (AUC). These cortisol outcomes were predicted from measures of PRD obtained over a 20-year period beginning when individuals were in 7th grade (approximately age 12).Greater average PRD measured across the 20-year period predicted flatter adult diurnal cortisol slopes for both Black and White adults, and a lower CAR. Greater average PRD also predicted lower waking cortisol for Black, but not White adults. PRD experiences in adolescence accounted for many of these effects. When adolescent and young adult PRD are entered together predicting cortisol outcomes, PRD experiences in adolescence (but not young adulthood) significantly predicted flatter diurnal cortisol slopes for both Black and White adults. Adolescent, but not young adult PRD, also significantly predicted lower waking and lower average cortisol for Black adults. Young adult PRD was, however, a stronger predictor of the CAR, predicting a marginally lower CAR for Whites, and a significantly larger CAR for Blacks. Effects were robust to controlling for covariates including health behaviors, depression, income and parent education levels. PRD experiences interacted with parent education and income to predict aspects of the diurnal cortisol rhythm. Although these results suggest PRD influences on cortisol for both Blacks and Whites, the key findings suggest that the effects are more pervasive for Blacks, affecting multiple aspects of the cortisol diurnal rhythm. In addition, adolescence is a more sensitive developmental period than adulthood for the impacts of PRD on adult stress biology.",

keywords = "Adolescence, Cortisol, Diurnal cortisol rhythms, Early experience, Hypocortisolism, Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, Racial discrimination",

author = "Adam, {Emma K.} and Heissel, {Jennifer A.} and Zeiders, {Katharine H.} and Richeson, {Jennifer A.} and Ross, {Emily C.} and Ehrlich, {Katherine B.} and Levy, {Dorainne J.} and Margaret Kemeny and Brodish, {Amanda B.} and Oksana Malanchuk and Peck, {Stephen C.} and Fuller-Rowell, {Thomas E.} and Eccles, {Jacquelynne S.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015 Elsevier Ltd.",

year = "2015",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.08.018",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "62",

pages = "279--291",

journal = "Psychoneuroendocrinology",

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Adam, EK, Heissel, JA, Zeiders, KH, Richeson, JA, Ross, EC, Ehrlich, KB, Levy, DJ, Kemeny, M, Brodish, AB, Malanchuk, O, Peck, SC, Fuller-Rowell, TE & Eccles, JS 2015, 'Developmental histories of perceived racial discrimination and diurnal cortisol profiles in adulthood: A 20-year prospective study', Psychoneuroendocrinology, vol. 62, pp. 279-291. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2015.08.018

TY - JOUR

T1 - Developmental histories of perceived racial discrimination and diurnal cortisol profiles in adulthood

T2 - A 20-year prospective study

AU - Adam, Emma K.

AU - Heissel, Jennifer A.

AU - Zeiders, Katharine H.

AU - Richeson, Jennifer A.

AU - Ross, Emily C.

AU - Ehrlich, Katherine B.

AU - Levy, Dorainne J.

AU - Kemeny, Margaret

AU - Brodish, Amanda B.

AU - Malanchuk, Oksana

AU - Peck, Stephen C.

AU - Fuller-Rowell, Thomas E.

AU - Eccles, Jacquelynne S.

PY - 2015/12

Y1 - 2015/12

N2 - Perceived racial discrimination (PRD) has been associated with altered diurnal cortisol rhythms in past cross-sectional research. We investigate whether developmental histories of PRD, assessed prospectively, are associated with adult diurnal cortisol profiles. One-hundred and twelve (. N=. 50 Black, N=. 62 White) adults from the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Study provided saliva samples in adulthood (at approximately age 32 years) at waking, 30. min after waking, and at bedtime for 7 days. Diurnal cortisol measures were calculated, including waking cortisol levels, diurnal cortisol slopes, the cortisol awakening response (CAR), and average daily cortisol (AUC). These cortisol outcomes were predicted from measures of PRD obtained over a 20-year period beginning when individuals were in 7th grade (approximately age 12).Greater average PRD measured across the 20-year period predicted flatter adult diurnal cortisol slopes for both Black and White adults, and a lower CAR. Greater average PRD also predicted lower waking cortisol for Black, but not White adults. PRD experiences in adolescence accounted for many of these effects. When adolescent and young adult PRD are entered together predicting cortisol outcomes, PRD experiences in adolescence (but not young adulthood) significantly predicted flatter diurnal cortisol slopes for both Black and White adults. Adolescent, but not young adult PRD, also significantly predicted lower waking and lower average cortisol for Black adults. Young adult PRD was, however, a stronger predictor of the CAR, predicting a marginally lower CAR for Whites, and a significantly larger CAR for Blacks. Effects were robust to controlling for covariates including health behaviors, depression, income and parent education levels. PRD experiences interacted with parent education and income to predict aspects of the diurnal cortisol rhythm. Although these results suggest PRD influences on cortisol for both Blacks and Whites, the key findings suggest that the effects are more pervasive for Blacks, affecting multiple aspects of the cortisol diurnal rhythm. In addition, adolescence is a more sensitive developmental period than adulthood for the impacts of PRD on adult stress biology.

AB - Perceived racial discrimination (PRD) has been associated with altered diurnal cortisol rhythms in past cross-sectional research. We investigate whether developmental histories of PRD, assessed prospectively, are associated with adult diurnal cortisol profiles. One-hundred and twelve (. N=. 50 Black, N=. 62 White) adults from the Maryland Adolescent Development in Context Study provided saliva samples in adulthood (at approximately age 32 years) at waking, 30. min after waking, and at bedtime for 7 days. Diurnal cortisol measures were calculated, including waking cortisol levels, diurnal cortisol slopes, the cortisol awakening response (CAR), and average daily cortisol (AUC). These cortisol outcomes were predicted from measures of PRD obtained over a 20-year period beginning when individuals were in 7th grade (approximately age 12).Greater average PRD measured across the 20-year period predicted flatter adult diurnal cortisol slopes for both Black and White adults, and a lower CAR. Greater average PRD also predicted lower waking cortisol for Black, but not White adults. PRD experiences in adolescence accounted for many of these effects. When adolescent and young adult PRD are entered together predicting cortisol outcomes, PRD experiences in adolescence (but not young adulthood) significantly predicted flatter diurnal cortisol slopes for both Black and White adults. Adolescent, but not young adult PRD, also significantly predicted lower waking and lower average cortisol for Black adults. Young adult PRD was, however, a stronger predictor of the CAR, predicting a marginally lower CAR for Whites, and a significantly larger CAR for Blacks. Effects were robust to controlling for covariates including health behaviors, depression, income and parent education levels. PRD experiences interacted with parent education and income to predict aspects of the diurnal cortisol rhythm. Although these results suggest PRD influences on cortisol for both Blacks and Whites, the key findings suggest that the effects are more pervasive for Blacks, affecting multiple aspects of the cortisol diurnal rhythm. In addition, adolescence is a more sensitive developmental period than adulthood for the impacts of PRD on adult stress biology.

KW - Adolescence

KW - Cortisol

KW - Diurnal cortisol rhythms

KW - Early experience

KW - Hypocortisolism

KW - Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis

KW - Racial discrimination

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SN - 0306-4530

VL - 62

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JO - Psychoneuroendocrinology

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ER -

Developmental histories of perceived racial discrimination and diurnal cortisol profiles in adulthood: A 20-year prospective study

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

UN SDGs

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