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Strategies For Salivary Cortisol Collection And Analysis In Research With Children, Kirsten Hanrahan, Ann Mccarthy, Charmaine Kleiber, S. Lutgendorf, E. Tsalikian

Kirsten M. Hanrahan

Salivary cortisol has emerged in pediatric research as an easy-to-collect, relatively inexpensive, biologic marker of stress. Cortisol is highly variable and is responsive to a wide range of factors that should be considered when incorporating this measure into research with children. Strategies for sample collection include: (1) standardizing the time for sample collection, including baseline samples; (2) using consistent collection materials and methods; (3) controlling for certain drinks, foods, medications, and diagnoses; and (4) establishing procedures and protocols. Other strategies for laboratory analyses include: (1) selecting the appropriate assay and laboratory; (2) identifying units of measure and norms; and (3) …