TABLE 1.

Summary of Empirical Studies of Preventive Interventions to Promote Improved Cortisol Activity in Infants, Children, or Adolescents

	Number of Studies	Total Studies, %
Year of publication
Before 2005	3	17.6
2005–2010	8	47.1
2010–2012	6	35.3
Study design
RCT	13	76.5
Quasi-experimental	4	23.5
Sample size
N < 50	2	11.8
50 < N < 100	6	35.3
100 < N < 200	7	41.2
N ≥ 200	2	11.8
Location of study
United States	12	70.6
Other	5	30.4
Sample age at start of intervention, y
0–2	7	42.1
3–6	3	17.6
0–6	4	23.5
7–11	1	5.9
12–18	2	11.8
Childhood risk exposure
Foster care/institutional care	5	29.4
Maltreatment	2	11.8
Parental death	1	5.9
High-risk families (eg, maternal drug use or depression, low socioeconomic status)	7	41.2
General population	2	11.8
Duration of intervention
≤1 month	1	5.9
1–6 months	7	41.2
6 months to 1 year	4	23.5
>1 year	5	29.4
Intervention components
Caregiver- and child-focused	15	88.2
Child-focused	2	11.8
Cortisol measure
Single assessmenta	2	11.8
Diurnal	8	47.1
Baseline and response	5	29.4
Diurnal and responsivity or single assessment	2	11.8
Attention to key covariatesb
Yes	15	88.2
No	2	11.8
Cortisol intra- and interassay CVs <10%
Yes	10	58.8
No	2	11.8
Not reported	5	29.4
Length of follow-up after intervention started
<6 months	7	41.2
6–12 months	3	17.6
>1 year	7	41.2

N = 17 studies.

^aSingle cortisol assessments may have occurred more than once over time.

^bAttention to key covariates to ensure that randomization was effective or to determine necessary control covariates or respondents who should be excluded from the sample.