title: Stress in migrant farmworkers during premigration.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study explored the relationship between migrant farmworker (MFW) stress and salivary cortisol (sC) in a sample of MFWs prior to migration.
  
  
  METHODS
  The sample, 40 (N = 14 male, 26 female) adult MFWs residing in the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas, primarily comprised middle-aged immigrants with a middle-school education.
  
  
  METHODS
  This pilot feasibility study included a self-report farmworker stress inventory and five serial sC specimens in 24 hr.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sC measures reflected an expected diurnal pattern. Lower total cortisol (area under the curve with respect to ground) was significantly associated with greater waist circumference (r = -.63, p ≤ .01). Repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated that participants who perceived high levels of farmworker stress exhibited a significant change in sC over time; F(2.14, 72.65) = 43.90, p < .001. High- and low-perceived-stress groups differed significantly in the trajectory of changes in sC over the five time points.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MFWs experienced significant levels of stress during premigration. Their sC responses varied significantly by level of perceived farmworker stress. Lower perceived stress may reflect blunting of the sC response pattern.
authors.affiliation: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78701, USA. eclingerman@mail.nur.utexas.edu
authors.forename: Evelyn M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Clingerman
authors.forename: Adama
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000383:Agriculture; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D013048:Specimen Handling; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D014171:Transients and Migrants
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone