title: Experiences With Parents and Youth Physical Health Symptoms and Cortisol: A Daily Diary Investigation.
abstract: Using daily diary data, this study examined the associations between positive and negative parent-youth experiences and youth cortisol and physical health symptoms among a sample of adolescents (N=132, Mean Age = 13.39). On days when girls reported more negative experiences than usual, they exhibited more physical health symptoms and flatter evening cortisol slopes than usual. Negative experiences with mothers were associated with higher dinner and bedtime youth cortisol levels (between-person). Daily positive experiences with fathers were linked with lower dinner cortisol levels. Youth with high levels of negative experiences, on average, were less sensitive to daily variation in negative experiences than youth who experienced lower parental negativity. We discuss the benefits of a daily diary approach.
authors.affiliation: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Tate-Turner-Kuralt Building, 325 Pittsboro St CB#3550, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3550.
authors.forename: Melissa A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lippold
authors.affiliation: The Pennsylvania State University, 114 Henderson (North), University Park PA 16802.
authors.forename: Susan M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: McHale
authors.affiliation: Clearinghouse for Military Family Readiness, The Pennsylvania State University, 135 E. Nittany Avenue, Suite 402, State College, PA 16801.
authors.forename: Kelly D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.affiliation: The Pennsylvania State University, 403 BBH Building, University Park, PA 16802.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.affiliation: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), Health Scientist Administrator Population Dynamics Branch, 6100 Executive Blvd., Room 8B07, MSC 7510, Bethesda, MD 20892-7510.
authors.forename: Rosalind B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: King
keywords: HPA axis; cortisol; daily diary methods; parent-child relationships; physical health symptoms