Is economic hardship associated with young children’s cortisol levels?

Economic hardship during childhood has been linked to poor physical and mental health. This study examines cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of a summed economic hardship score of poverty, food insecurity, and financial hardship with hair cortisol in young children. Data from 24-month (Time 1, mean age 5 years) and 36-month (Time 2, mean age 6 years) follow-up from the NET-Works obesity prevention trial (NET-Works, NCT0166891) were used. Hair cortisol measures obtained at each time point were log-transformed and regressed on economic hardship at Time 1 and a cumulative economic hardship from Time 1 to Time 2, using generalized linear regressions. All models were adjusted for child age, sex, race/ethnicity, and intervention (prevention vs. control) arm. The final analytic sample sizes ranged from 248 to 287. Longitudinal analyses indicated that for every 1-unit higher economic hardship score at Time 1, hair cortisol at Time 2 follow-up was on average 0.07 log-picograms per milligram (pg/mg) higher (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.01, 0.13). For every 1-unit increase in the cumulative economic hardship score between Time 1 and 2, there was a 0.04 log-pg/mg (95% CI: 0.00, 0.07) average higher level of hair cortisol at Time 2 follow-up. Results show suggestive but limited evidence for an association between economic hardship and cortisol in young children.

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