Table 3. Moderating variables on within-subject associations between acute stressors or stress and cortisol.
| Current cortisol levels | Awakening response of cortisol1 | Diurnal cortisol slope2 | AUC cortisol | Single day-time levels of cortisol (e.g. at wake up, in evening) | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| / | ↑ | ↓ | Ref. | / | ↑ | ↓ | Ref. | / | ↑ | ↓ | Ref. | / | ↑ | ↓ | Ref. | / | ↑ | ↓ | Ref. | |
| Sociodemographic variables (BS) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Age | ✓ | - | - | [93] | ✓ | - | - | [107] | ✓ | - | - | [107] | ✓ | - | - | [106] | ||||
| • Gender (female vs. male) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | [87, 93, 96] | - | - | - | ✓ | - | - | [103, 117] | |||||||||
| • Socioeconomic status | ✓ | - | - | [88] | ||||||||||||||||
| Health-related variables (BS) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Mental disorders | ✓ | - | ✓ | [87, 98, 134] | ✓ | - | - | [124] | ||||||||||||
| • Having a sibling with psychotic disorders | - | ✓ | - | [75] | ||||||||||||||||
| • Spinal cord injury | - | - | ✓ | [79] | ||||||||||||||||
| • 22q11.2 deletion syndrome | - | - | ✓ | [92] | ||||||||||||||||
| • Higher activation of the normal X chromosome when having a premutation of FMR1 | ✓ | ✓ | - | [135] | ||||||||||||||||
| Personality-related variables (BS) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Coping | - | - | ✓ | [78] | ||||||||||||||||
| • Trait anxiety | - | ✓ | - | [89] | ||||||||||||||||
| Family-related variables (BS) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Chronic caregiving stress | - | - | ✓ | [112, 113] | - | ✓ | - | [112] | - | - | - | - | ✓ | - | [114] | |||||
| • Parental warmth | - | - | - | - | - | ✓ | [129] | ✓ | - | - | [103] | |||||||||
| • Marital satisfaction | - | - | - | - | ✓ | ✓ | [115] | |||||||||||||
| • Family conflict and lack of parental affection during childhood | ✓ | - | - | [129] | ||||||||||||||||
| Family-related variables (WS) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Providing support to parents | ✓ | - | - | [132] | ||||||||||||||||
| Subjective responses to stress (WS) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Self-oriented thoughts | ✓ | - | - | [97] | ||||||||||||||||
| • Past-oriented thoughts | - | - | ✓ | [97] | ||||||||||||||||
| • Positive thoughts | - | - | ✓ | [97] | ||||||||||||||||
| • Negative affect | - | - | ✓ | [97] | ||||||||||||||||
| • Arousal | ✓ | - | - | [97] | ||||||||||||||||
| • Coping | ✓ | ✓ | - | [78, 97] | ||||||||||||||||
| • Rumination | ✓ | - | - | [111] | - | - | ✓ | [111] | - | ✓ | - | [111] | ||||||||
| Other variables (BS) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Life satisfaction | ✓ | - | - | [95] | ||||||||||||||||
| • Previous negative life events | - | - | ✓ | [104] | ||||||||||||||||
| • Satisfaction with network support | - | - | ✓ | [119] | ||||||||||||||||
| • Believing in incremental theory of intelligence | - | ✓ | - | [86] | ||||||||||||||||
| • Ethnic-racial identity | - | - | ✓ | [99] | ✓ | - | - | [99] | ✓ | ✓ | - | [99, 131] | - | ✓ | - | [99] | ||||
| Other variables (WS) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| • Time of the day | ✓ | - | - | [93] | ||||||||||||||||
| • Performing volunteer work | - | - | ✓ | [128] | ||||||||||||||||
| • Social contacts | ✓ | - | ✓ | [82] | ||||||||||||||||
BS = between-subject moderating variables; Ref. = References; WS = within-subject moderating variables; / = no moderation effect; ↑ = higher levels of moderating variable increased relationship between acute stress and cortisol (i.e. increased stress reactivity); ↓ = higher levels of moderating variable decreased relationship between acute stress and cortisol (i.e. decreased stress reactivity);
1 ↑ = higher levels of moderating variable was associated with increased cortisol awakening response, ↓ = higher levels of moderating variable was associated with decreased cortisol awakening response;
2 ↑ = higher levels of moderating variable was associated with a flatter diurnal cortisol slope, ↓ = higher levels of moderating variable was associated with steeper diurnal cortisol slope.