Table 2.
Summary of articles describing sex differences in cortisol awakening response (CAR)
| Author (year) | Sample size | Age | Sampling points | Sampling medium | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam (2010) | 230 | 17.04 ± 0.36 years | 0 and 40 min after awakening | Saliva | No sex differences; pubertal status not assessed |
| Bae (2015) | 138 (70 controls) | 10.7 ± 1.7 years | 0 and 30 min after awakening | Saliva | Higher levels in girls at awakening and 30 min after awakening, no sex differences in awakening response |
| Bouma (2009) | 644 | 16.13 ± 0.59 years | 0 and 30 min after awakening | Saliva | Higher basal levels in girls, no difference in awakening responses |
| Bright (2014) | 47 | 12–24 months | 0 and 30 min after awakening | Saliva | No sex differences; pubertal status not assessed |
| Dietrich (2013) | 1604 | 11.1 ± 0.55 years | 0 and 30 min after awakening | Saliva | AUCg and absolute cortisol values higher in girls, AUCi no sex differences |
| Fransson (2014) | 157 | 14–16 years | 0, 30, and 60 min after awakening | Saliva | Higher CAR in girls |
| Hatzinger (2007) | 102 | 4.91 ± 0.44 years | 0, 10, 20, and 30 min after awakening | Saliva | Higher CAR in girls |
| Jones (2006) | 140 | 7–9 years | 0 and 30 min after awakening | Saliva | CAR present in boys, not in girls |
| Kuhlman (2015) | 121 | 12.8 ± 2.3 years | 0 and 45 min after awakening | Saliva | No sex differences; pubertal status not assessed |
| Martikainen (2013) | 252 | 8.1 ± 0.3 years | 0, 15, and 30 min after awakening | Saliva | Higher AUCg in girls, same increase and AUCi |
| Michels (2012) | 385 | 5–10 years | 0, 30, and 60 min after awakening | Saliva | No sex differences; pubertal status not assessed |
| Morin-Major (2016) | 88 | 14.5 ± 1.8 years | 0 and 30 min after awakening | Saliva | Correlated to sex, higher CAR in girls |
| Osika (2007) | 84 | 9.9 ± 0.55 years | 0 and 15 min after awakening | Saliva | No sex differences; pubertal status not assessed |
| Pruessner (1997) | 42 | 11.16 ± 1.99 years | On 3 days: 0, 10, 20, and 30 min after awakening | Saliva | Marginal differences: higher in girls |
| Susman (2007) | 111 | Boys: 9, 11, or 13 years; girls: 8, 10, or 12 years | 0, 20, and 40 min after awakening | Saliva | No sex differences; pubertal status not associated with reactivity |
| Tzortzi (2009) | 21 | 10–14 years | From waking: every 20 min until 3 h after awakening | Saliva | No sex differences; pubertal status not assessed |
| Vanaelst (2013) | 355 | 5–10 years | 0, 30, and 60 min after awakening | Saliva | No sex differences; pubertal status not assessed |
| Williams (2013) | 27 | 9.13 ± 1.41 years | 0 and 30 min after awakening | Saliva | No sex differences; pubertal status not assessed |