Dettling A C, Parker S W, Lane S, Sebanc A, Gunnar M R
Behavioral Neurobiology Laboratory, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Schorenstrasse 16, 8603, Schwerzenbach, Switzerland.
Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2000 Nov;25(8):819-36. doi: 10.1016/s0306-4530(00)00028-7.
The current study investigated whether patterns of cortisol production in preschool-aged children in group care were influenced by characteristics such as group size, adult:child ratio, separation from family/parents, and quality of attention and stimulation from the childcare provider. Data were obtained from preschoolers attending home-based childcare. Cortisol levels were sampled at home and at childcare. Parents and teachers assessed the child's temperament (CBQ, TBQ). At childcare, the children were observed using the Observational Ratings of the Caregiving Environment (ORCE). Childcare characteristics were independent of family or child characteristics. In home-based childcare, children's cortisol patterns over the day correlated significantly with the amount of attention and stimulation provided by the childcare provider. Using a median split on the quality index measure of focused attention/stimulation, children in settings that were above the median exhibited no change in cortisol from home to childcare, while those in settings below the median exhibited a reversal of the typical pattern of cortisol production from morning to afternoon. At home these children exhibited the expected decrease in cortisol from morning to afternoon. Patterns of cortisol production at childcare were also correlated with child temperament with larger increases from morning to afternoon for more emotionally negative children and those with less self-control. Finally, cortisol production in home-based childcare was compared to data from children in center-based childcare and children not enrolled in full-day childcare.
本研究调查了集体照料环境下学龄前儿童的皮质醇分泌模式是否受到诸如群体规模、成人与儿童比例、与家庭/父母分离以及儿童保育提供者的关注和刺激质量等因素的影响。数据来自参加家庭式儿童保育的学龄前儿童。在家中和儿童保育场所采集了皮质醇水平样本。父母和教师评估了孩子的气质（儿童行为问卷，教师行为问卷）。在儿童保育场所，使用照料环境观察评分（ORCE）对儿童进行观察。儿童保育特征与家庭或儿童特征无关。在家庭式儿童保育中，儿童一天中的皮质醇模式与儿童保育提供者提供的关注和刺激量显著相关。根据集中注意力/刺激的质量指数测量进行中位数分割，处于中位数以上环境中的儿童从家中到儿童保育场所皮质醇没有变化，而处于中位数以下环境中的儿童皮质醇分泌模式从早晨到下午出现了逆转。在家中，这些儿童的皮质醇从早晨到下午呈现出预期的下降。儿童保育场所的皮质醇分泌模式也与儿童气质相关，情绪更消极和自我控制能力较差的儿童从早晨到下午皮质醇增加幅度更大。最后，将家庭式儿童保育中的皮质醇分泌数据与中心式儿童保育中的儿童以及未参加全日制儿童保育的儿童的数据进行了比较。
