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Diurnal saliva cortisol levels and relations to psychosocial factors in a population sample of middle-aged swedish men and women

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Abstract

Whereas psychosocial risk factors increase the risk for disease, psychosocial resources reduce this risk. To examine a possible pathway for these effects, the relations between saliva cortisol levels and psychosocial factors were studied in a random sample of 257 men and women aged 30 to 64 years. Saliva samples were collected at home on waking, 30 min after waking, and in the evening. A flatter diurnal rhythm of cortisol, that is, lower deviations between awakening and evening cortisol levels, was related to high levels of psychosocial risk factors (cynicism, depression, and vital exhaustion), whereas a steeper diurnal rhythm was related to psychosocial resources (social support and coping), general health, and well-being (all p < .05). Our results support earlier suggestions that the capacity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adre-nal-axis to dynamically respond to stress is 1 pathway for observed effects of psychosocial factors regarding risk for disease development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health and Society, Linköping University, S 58185, Linköping, Sweden

    Elaine Sjögren & Margareta Kristenson

  2. Department of Molecular and Clinical Medicine, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden

    Per Leanderson

Authors
  1. Elaine Sjögren
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  2. Per Leanderson
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  3. Margareta Kristenson
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Correspondence to Elaine Sjögren.

Additional information

We thank Ilze Girgensone, Jeanette Lindström, and Inger Nordén-Larsson for help with data collection and laboratory work; Elisabeth Wilhelm for help with the data analysis; John Carstensen for statistical advice; and our colleagues in the LinQuest Group-Kerstin Ekberg, Helle Noorling-Brage, and Monir Datserri—for help with data collection in the public health survey. With regard to financial and material support, we thank the Swedish National Board of Research, The County Council of Östergötland, and Linköping University. No conflict of interest is stated. We jointly decided on the principal idea and study design. Elaine Sjögren and Per Leanderson participated in data collection. Elaine Sjögren performed data analysis and the main work of this article. We all participated in data interpretation and in the critical revision of this article.

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Sjögren, E., Leanderson, P. & Kristenson, M. Diurnal saliva cortisol levels and relations to psychosocial factors in a population sample of middle-aged swedish men and women. Int. J. Behav. Med. 13, 193–200 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327558ijbm1303_2

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