A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis of Cortisol Levels and Internalizing Behaviors in Children Born Very Preterm Across Early Childhood: Associations Differ for Boys and Girls at Age 1.5 Years
Date
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
Degree name
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wiley
Abstract
Children born very preterm (≤32 weeks’ gestation) are exposed to considerable stress in the neonatal period that, in turn, is associated long-term with altered physiological stress reactivity and regulation, as well as increased internalizing (anxiety and depressive) behaviors. Whether cortisol levels are related to evolving internalizing behaviors in this population has not been evaluated to our knowledge. The present study investigated the association between cortisol reactivity to a cognitive assessment in a novel clinic environment and parent-reported internalizing behaviors both concurrently and across ages in children born very preterm and examined whether relationships differed by biological sex at birth. Total cortisol output (AUCg) and reactivity (AUCi) were calculated from saliva assayed across age-appropriate cognitive tasks, and parents reported on their child's behavior at ages 1.5, 3, and 4.5 years. Valid cortisol data at one or more assessment points were available from 174 participants. Random-intercept cross-lagged panel models showed no longitudinal relationships between internalizing behaviors and cortisol output (AUCg, AUCi). Follow-up multilevel models revealed that the relationship between cortisol AUCg and internalizing behaviors was specific to girls at age 1.5 years. Findings highlight the importance of examining sex differences in biobehavioral relationships across development. Future research should consider factors that may attenuate these relationships across development.Description
Keywords
HPA axis, child sex, cortisol, internalizing behaviors, preterm, 5202 Biological Psychology, 52 Psychology, 5201 Applied and Developmental Psychology, Mind and Body, Women's Health, Basic Behavioral and Social Science, Pediatric, Behavioral and Social Science, Clinical Research, Mental Health, 2.1 Biological and endogenous factors, 2.3 Psychological, social and economic factors, Reproductive health and childbirth, Mental health, 1701 Psychology, 1702 Cognitive Sciences, Behavioral Science & Comparative Psychology, 5201 Applied and developmental psychology, 5202 Biological psychology
Source
Developmental Psychobiology, ISSN: 0012-1630 (Print); 1098-2302 (Online), Wiley, 67(4), e70064-. doi: 10.1002/dev.70064
Publisher's version
Rights statement
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. © 2025 The Author(s). Developmental Psychobiology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC