Home-school differences in stress hormone levels in a group of Oxford primary schoolchildren.
Twenty-three girls and thirteen boys, aged between 4 and 9 years, gave urine samples which were measured by HPLC for adrenaline, noradrenaline, cortisol and cortisone on a school day and on a home day. Home levels of noradrenaline, cortisol and cortisone were consistently higher than school levels. Cortisol was positively correlated with adrenaline and noradrenaline at home, but not at school. These results may suggest that the school day represents a stimulating but comparatively structured environment with little negative affect, while the home day is characterised by stimulation but relative uncertainty in social interactions.
Long
B L
BL
Institute of Biological Anthropology, University of Oxford.
Ungpakorn
G
G
Harrison
G A
GA
D001143:Arousal / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004739:England; D004837:Epinephrine / Q000652:urine*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000652:urine*; D008297:Male; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000652:urine*; D012931:Social Environment
D006854:Hydrocortisone; D009638:Norepinephrine; D004837:Epinephrine