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Ethnicity, stress, and cortisol function in Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women: A preliminary study of family dementia caregivers and noncaregivers
Gallagher-Thompson D, Shurgot GR, Rider K, Gray HL, McKibbin CL, Kraemer HC, Sephton SE, Thompson LW.. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry, 2006-04-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective This study examined differences in psychologic and physiological responses to caregiving stress in Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women dementia caregivers and noncaregivers. Dependent variables were perceived stress, depression, and salivary cortisol. Method Eighty-three women caregivers (20 Hispanic and 24 non-Hispanic white) and noncaregivers (19 Hispanic and 20 non-Hispanic white) completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D), and collected three saliva samples daily for 3 consecutive days. A subsample of 17 Hispanic and 28 non-Hispanic white participants matched on age and education was used for the main analyses. Results Caregivers had higher levels of 8 am, 5 pm, and 9 pm log cortisol as well as higher perceived stress than noncaregivers. Non-Hispanic whites had higher depression scores than noncaregivers, but there was no significant difference for Hispanics. Hispanics, regardless of caregiving status had flatter daytime cortisol slopes than the non-Hispanic whites. Multivariate regression analyses showed that both ethnicity and depressive symptoms independently predicted daytime cortisol slope. Conclusions Results support the relationship between chronic stress and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation among women dementia caregivers and highlight the need to examine further the role of ethnicity and depressive symptoms in their physiological responses.
Key findings
- Results Caregivers had higher levels of 8 am, 5 pm, and 9 pm log cortisol as well as higher perceived stress than noncaregivers.
- Non-Hispanic whites had higher depression scores than noncaregivers, but there was no significant difference for Hispanics.
- Multivariate regression analyses showed that both ethnicity and depressive symptoms independently predicted daytime cortisol slope.
- Conclusions Results support the relationship between chronic stress and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation among women dementia caregivers and highlight the need to examine further the role of ethnicity and depressive symptoms in their physiological responses.
Why it matters
This small preliminary study compared stress, depression and cortisol in Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women who were dementia caregivers or not. It found caregivers had higher cortisol and perceived stress, but it is an early study of caregiver stress biology, not a treatment or prevention for Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry: journal h-index 178 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2006 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 104 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 4.7 citations a year over 22 year(s) since 2006 |
| Impact for its field and year | 2 / 6 | Cited 1.7× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 3 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 5 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Larry Wolford Thompson: h-index 63 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 3 / 3 | Stanford University: institution h-index 2,684 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 6 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 16582042) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Gallagher-Thompson, D., Shurgot, G. R., Rider, K., Gray, H. L., McKibbin, C. L., Kraemer, H. C., et al. (2006). Ethnicity, stress, and cortisol function in Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women: A preliminary study of family dementia caregivers and noncaregivers. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.jgp.0000206485.73618.87
Vancouver
Gallagher-Thompson D, Shurgot GR, Rider K, Gray HL, McKibbin CL, Kraemer HC, et al. Ethnicity, stress, and cortisol function in Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women: A preliminary study of family dementia caregivers and noncaregivers. The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. 2006. doi:10.1097/01.jgp.0000206485.73618.87. PMID: 16582042.
BibTeX
@article{gallagherthompson2006-16582042,
author = {Gallagher-Thompson, D. and Shurgot, G. R. and Rider, K. and Gray, H. L. and McKibbin, C. L. and Kraemer, H. C. and Sephton, S. E. and Thompson, L. W.},
title = {{Ethnicity, stress, and cortisol function in Hispanic and non-Hispanic white women: A preliminary study of family dementia caregivers and noncaregivers}},
journal = {The American journal of geriatric psychiatry : official journal of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry},
year = {2006},
doi = {10.1097/01.jgp.0000206485.73618.87},
pmid = {16582042},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1097/01.jgp.0000206485.73618.87}
}
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