Social economics of childhood glucocorticoid stress response and health.

This study examines socioeconomic conditions, psychosocial stress, and health among 264 infants, children, adolescents, and young adults aged 2 months to 18 years residing in a rural Caribbean village. Fieldwork was conducted over a 9 year period (1988-1996). Research methods and techniques include salivary cortisol radioimmunoassay (N = 22,438), systematic behavioral observations, psychological questionnaires, health evaluations, medical records, informal interviews, and participant observation. Analyses of data indicate complex relations among socioeconomic conditions, stress, and health. Household income, land ownership, parental education, and other socioeconomic measures are weakly associated with child illness. There is no evidence that apparent material benefits of high socioeconomic status--such as improved housing, diet, work loads, and access to private healthcare--have important direct effects on child health in this population. However, social relationships, especially family environment, may have important effects on childhood psychosocial stress and illness. Abnormal glucocorticoid response profiles, diminished immunity, and frequent illness are associated with unstable mating relationships for parents/caretakers and household composition. We suggest that family relationships and concomitant stress and immunosuppression are important intermediary links between socioeconomic conditions and child health.

Social economics of childhood glucocorticoid stress response and health

This study examines socioeconomic conditions, psychosocial stress, and health among 264 infants, children, adolescents, and young adults aged 2 months to 18 years residing in a rural Caribbean village in Dominica. Fieldwork was conducted over a 9 year period (1988-1996). Research methods and techniques include salivary cortisol radioimmunoassay (N = 22, 438), systematic behavioral observation, psychological questionnaires, health evaluation, medical records, informal interviews, and participant observation. Analyses of data indicate complex relations among socioeconomic conditions, stress, and health. Household income, land ownership, parental education, and other socioeconomic measures are weakly associated with child illness. There is no evidence that apparent material benefits of high socioeconomic status such as improved housing, diet, work loads, and access to private health care have important direct effects on child health in this population. However, social relationship, especially family environment, may have important effects on childhood psychosocial stress and illness. Abnormal glucocorticoid response profiles, diminished immunity, and frequent illness are associated with unstable mating relationships for parents/caretakers and household compositon. We suggest that family relationships and concomitant stress and immunosuppression are important intermediary links between socioeconomic conditions and child health.(AU)

Male-female differences in effects of parental absence on glucocorticoid stress response.

This study examines the family environments and hormone profiles of 316 individuals aged 2 months-58 years residing in a rural village on the east coast of Dominica, a former British colony in the West Indies. Fieldwork was conducted over an eight-year period (1988-1995). Research methods and techniques include radioimmunoassay of cortisol and testosterone from saliva samples (N=22,340), residence histories, behavioral observations of family interactions, extensive ethnographic interview and participant observation, psychological questionnaires, and medical examinations.Analyses of data indicate complex, sex-specific effects of family environment on endocrine function. Male endocrine profiles exhibit greater sensitivity to presence of father than do female endocrine profiles. Father-absent males tend to have (a) low cortisol levels during infancy, (b) high or abnormal cortisol profiles during childhood and adolescence, and (c) high cortisol and low testosterone levels during adulthood compared with those of males raised with a resident father. These results indicate that early family environment has significant effects on endocrine response throughout male life histories.

Correlates of reproductive success in a Caribbean village.

PIP: The concept of individual reproductive success was investigated in a rural Trinidadian village by analyzing genealogical, economic and demographic data. The author conducted field research in the village of Grand Anse, on the northern coast of Trinidad, with 342 inhabitants, collecting accurate genealogies, information on economic assets and occupations, residence, horticultural productivity, flow of material resources between individuals, and past and current mating and marriage relationships. Individuals with more land had more offspring, especially so for males. Males with land had more offspring by more mates than less prosperous males. Although this may have occurred because females desired males who were well dressed, gave them presents, and appeared to be able to support children, in fact, the village elders exerted considerable control over mating relationships. Young males with a father resident in the village had more children. Fathers helped their sons get jobs, controlled land, conferred social standing. The findings were surprisingly congruent with current evolutionary models of mating systems developed from the study of nonhuman organisms: specifically the hypothesis that organisms evolve to amass resources in ways that maximize the reproduction of their genetic materials.^ieng