Short CommunicationCortisol profiles differ by race/ethnicity among young sexual minority men
Introduction
The majority of diurnal cortisol studies have been conducted among White heterosexuals. Yet for vulnerable minorities, social factors like race/ethnicity-related discrimination (Adam et al., 2015, Huynh et al., 2016) as well as socioeconomic disadvantage (Chen et al., 2010) are associated with dysregulated hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis functioning. Likewise, sexual minorities are more likely to experience discrimination based on their sexual orientation compared to heterosexual individuals (Fredriksen-Goldsen et al., 2013). Recent research shows that sexual orientation-related stress and stigma can modulate HPA-axis reactivity among sexual minority individuals compared to heterosexual individuals (Hatzenbuehler and McLaughlin, 2014, Juster et al., 2015). Theories of sexual minority stress (Cook and Calebs, 2016, Meyer, 2003) suggest that there are stressors related to social stigma and discrimination that generate excess stress. Stressors related to social stigma and discrimination can increase risk for physical and mental health problems among sexual minority individuals (Institute of Medicine, 2011).
Based on extant theoretical and empirical work, we hypothesize that men who are both Black and identify as sexual minorities are at greater risk for dysregulated HPA-axis functioning than men who do not have intersecting marginalized identities. The current study therefore examines sexual and racial/ethnic minority stress by assessing diurnal cortisol rhythm in young White gay men (WGM) compared to young Black gay men (BGM).
Section snippets
Participants
The final sample consisted of 68 young gay and bisexual men (two participants were not included in the current analysis because they only completed the baseline assessment) recruited from the Midwest region of the United States. Participant ages ranged from 18 to 29 years (M = 22.9, SD = 3.3). Further, 61.8% of the sample identified as White while 38.2% identified as Black/African-American. With regard to highest level of education achieved, most reported having at least some college experience:
Results
Main analyses assessed race/ethnicity differences using ANCOVAs while controlling for mean awakening time (M = 9.06, SE = 0.09). A significant time X group interaction effect was detected (F(2.47,140.7) = 5.18, p = 0.004, η2P = 0.083). Post-hoc analyses revealed that BGM had higher cortisol levels than WGM in the evening (p = 0.015, 95% CI: 0.15, 0.27; Fig. 1A).
Secondary one-way ANCOVAs revealed no significant group differences for the CAR (p > 0.87) or AUCg across the day (p = 0.336). By contrast, the Min-Max
Discussion
The objective of the current study was to examine differences in diurnal cortisol rhythm between young White gay men (WGM) and young Black gay men (BGM). Understanding the processes by which stressful social factors “get under the skin” of individuals at the intersection of marginalized identities continues to be limited in psychoneuroendocrine research. As hypothesized, we found differences in HPA-axis functioning by race/ethnicity. Specifically, higher evening cortisol levels were shown among
Conflict of interest
The authors unanimously declare no conflicts of interest.
Role of funding source
This work was supported by funding from the University of Michigan (PI: Stephanie H. Cook).
Contributors
S. Cook conceived the study, constructed the study design, and drafted the manuscript and all co-authors approved the final version of the manuscript for submission. R. P. Juster, J. C. analyzed and interpreted the data. B. Calebs, J. Heinze, contributed to the study design and data collection. A. Miller contributed significantly to the writing of the manuscript.
Acknowledgements
We thank our participants for their commitment to this demanding study. We would also like to thank Teera Parr for performing our biochemical assays.
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