Table 3:
Mean log-transformed hair cortisol concentrations at the four hair segments (preconception, 1st trimester, 2nd trimester, 3rd trimester) by each stress measure (N=97 participants).
| Participant characteristics | N (%) | Mean logHCC (Standard Deviation) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preconception (3–6cm) |
1st Trimester (0–3cm) |
2nd Trimester (3–6cm) |
3rd Trimester (0–3cm) |
||
| All participants | 97 (100%) | 1.28 (1.00) | 1.64 (0.96) | 1.75 (0.89) | 2.22 (0.88) |
| Difficulty paying for basics | |||||
| No | 57 (85.8%) | 1.22 (1.06) | 1.54 (0.99) | 1.64 (0.89) | 2.18 (0.73) |
| Yes | 40 (41.2%) | 1.37 (0.90) | 1.77 (0.91) | 1.91 (0.89) | 2.28 (1.07) |
| P-value | 0.48 | 0.26 | 0.14 | 0.59 | |
| Education ≤ 12 years | |||||
| No | 59 (60.8%) | 1.09 (1.07) | 1.39 (1.02) | 1.64 (0.95) | 2.14 (0.93) |
| Yes | 38 (39.2%) | 1.58 (0.80) | 2.01 (0.72) | 1.92 (0.78) | 2.35 (0.79) |
| P-value | 0.02 | 0.002 | 0.13 | 0.25 | |
| Unemployed during pregnancy | |||||
| No | 45 (46.4%) | 1.16 (1.09) | 1.54 (1.07) | 1.94 (0.80) | 2.34 (0.71) |
| Yes | 52 (53.6%) | 1.39 (0.90) | 1.72 (0.85) | 1.59 (0.95) | 2.11 (1.00) |
| P-value | 0.25 | 0.34 | 0.054 | 0.21 | |
| Fair or poor health | |||||
| No | 31 (32.0%) | 1.33 (1.07) | 1.63 (1.14) | 1.70 (0.77) | 2.07 (0.69) |
| Yes | 66 (68.0%) | 1.26 (0.97) | 1.64 (0.87) | 1.77 (0.95) | 2.29 (0.96) |
| P-value | 0.73 | 0.98 | 0.70 | 0.25 | |
| History of physical or sexual child abuse | |||||
| No | 68 (70.1%) | 1.32 (0.96) | 1.61 (0.97) | 1.69 (0.83) | 2.19 (0.80) |
| Yes | 29 (29.9%) | 1.18 (1.09) | 1.69 (0.95) | 1.88 (1.03) | 2.29 (1.06) |
| P-value | 0.52 | 0.74 | 0.36 | 0.59 | |
| History of IPV a | |||||
| No | 81 (83.5%) | 1.31 (1.03) | 1.64 (0.98) | 1.76 (0.92) | 2.22 (0.90) |
| Yes | 16 (16.5%) | 1.12 (0.79) | 1.63 (0.89) | 1.72 (0.75) | 2.24 (0.82) |
| P-value | 0.48 | 0.97 | 0.87 | 0.92 | |
| High perceived stress | |||||
| No | 52 (53.6%) | 1.47 (0.86) | 1.80 (0.84) | 1.87 (0.86) | 2.28 (0.90) |
| Yes | 45 (46.4%) | 1.07 (1.10) | 1.44 (1.06) | 1.61 (0.92) | 2.15 (0.87) |
| P-value | 0.0501 | 0.06 | 0.17 | 0.48 | |
| Depression b | |||||
| No | 73 (75.2%) | 1.37 (0.99) | 1.67 (1.00) | 1.72 (0.93) | 2.19 (0.91) |
| Yes | 23 (23.7%) | 0.95 (0.94) | 1.48 (0.79) | 1.79 (0.73) | 2.27 (0.80) |
| P-value | 0.08 | 0.36 | 0.22 | 0.70 | |
| Generalized Anxiety Disorder c | |||||
| No | 64 (66.0%) | 1.49 (0.90) | 1.77 (0.87) | 1.72 (0.90) | 2.19 (0.86) |
| Yes | 33 (34.0%) | 0.88 (1.07) | 1.37 (1.08) | 1.81 (0.88) | 2.28 (0.93) |
| P-value | 0.004 | 0.052 | 0.62 | 0.62 | |
| PTSD d | |||||
| No | 78 (80.4%) | 1.24 (1.01) | 1.61 (0.99) | 1.73 (0.85) | 2.15 (0.87) |
| Yes | 19 (19.6%) | 1.44 (0.94) | 1.73 (0.81) | 1.83 (1.07) | 2.51 (0.88) |
| P-value | 0.44 | 0.63 | 0.68 | 0.11 | |
Values in bold are statistically significant at the alpha 0.05 level.
a
IPV= intimate partner violence
b
9-item Patient Health Questionnaire score ≥10
c
7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale score ≥7
d
Post-traumatic stress disorder (score ≥26)